Iris Apfel: Her Life in Photos
Born on August 29, 1921, Iris Apfel remained a figure of vibrancy and life until her passing Friday at the age of 102. The lifelong New Yorker, who co-owned textile company Old World Weavers from 1950 to 1992, became a household name in 2005, when the Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art mounted an exhibition of the clothing Apfel had collected over her lifetime.Â
Iris Apfel speaks during the 25th Annual ACE Awards on November 02, 2021 in New York City.
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Iris Apfel celebrates her 100th Birthday Party with 100 friends at Central Park Tower on September 09, 2021 in New York City.
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Iris Apfel attends the Holiday House Opening Night Benefit Honoring Iris Apfel at The Sullivan Mansions on November 16, 2016 in New York City.
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Carl Apfel and Iris Apfel in New York on April 26, 2010 in New York City.
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Ubiquity quickly followed. At an age when many people begin to retreat from the world, Apfel embraced the spotlight, even appearing as the central figure in Iris, Albert Maysles’s final documentary.Â
Designer Iris Apfel poses for a photo at 92nd Street Y on May 2, 2018 in New York City.
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Guest and Iris Apfel attend the Fashion Group International’s 34th Annual Night of Stars Gala at Cipriani Wall Street on October 26, 2017 in New York City.
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Actress Laverne Cox, businesswoman Iris Apfel ( C) , and model Karolina Kurkova (2nd from R) attend the Desigual fashion show during Spring 2016 New York Fashion Week: The Shows at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 10, 2015 in New York City.
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Designer Iris Apfel with pieces from her Rara Avis collection at the HSN Accessories Event at Home Shopping Network on May 12, 2011 in New York City.
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Savvy companies rushed to partner with the ârare bird of fashion,â as she was known, leading to appearances in commercials for Old Navy, a jewlery line for HSN, and a collaboration with fast fashion giant H&M timed to her hundredth birthday.
Iris Apfel and Serena Williams attend Serena Williams Signature Statement Collection By HSN – Backstage – September 2016 – Style360 Fashion Week at KIA STYLE360 on September 12, 2016 in New York City.
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Saint Louis Fashion Fund Gala 2015 Honorees Paul Dillinger and Iris Apfel (R) pose for pictures during the Saint Louis Fashion Fund Gala 2015 on November 4, 2015 in St Louis, Missouri.
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Designer Iris Apfel attends the HSN Fashion Week Lounge At The Empire Hotel on February 10, 2014 in New York City.
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Actress Christina Hendricks (L) and Iris Apfel attend the Naeem Khan fashion show during September 2016 New York Fashion Week at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 14, 2016 in New York City.Â
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Designer Iris Apfel(L) and Fern Mallis pose for a photo at 92nd Street Y on May 2, 2018 in New York City.Â
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The polymath was more than an iconic face. Every interview felt like a gold mine of quotes and surprises. For example, when asked âHow many times a day do you change your clothes?â she responded âI am not a fashionista, and I donât dress up ⊠I love fashion, I think itâs wonderful, but itâs not my life. I have various other channels that are more important.â
Fashion icon Iris Apfel attends the “Iris” photo call during the 52nd New York Film Festival at Walter Reade Theater on October 9, 2014 in New York City.
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Iris Apfel with her birthday cake at her 100th Birthday Party at Central Park Tower on September 09, 2021 in New York City.
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Iris Apfel and blogger BryanBoy attend front row at Monse – September 2016 – New York Fashion Week – at Art Beam on September 9, 2016 in New York City.
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Iris Apfel (C) attends the American Apparel & Footwear Association’s 38th Annual American Image Awards 2016 on May 24, 2016 in New York City.
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She also spoke candidly about what worksâand what doesn’tâwhen it comes to personal style. âEverybody looks the same,â she said regarding red carpet style.
 âIn a way, itâs rather sad, because there will be this nice little woman in Squeedunk who sees Angelina Jolie in a dress, who of course looks ravishing, and sheâll buy the dress and it will look pitiful. I think the worst faux pas in fashion is to look in a mirror and see somebody elseâwhich so many people do. They think a dress is going to transform them. They donât realize itâs themselves and their attitude. Because thatâs what style is: attitude, attitude, attitude.â
Iris Apfel and actress Whoopi Goldberg attend Carmen Marc Valvo Women’s and Men’s Collection S/S 2016 during New York Fashion Week: The Shows at The Arc, Skylight at Moynihan Station on September 15, 2015 in New York City.
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 Jimmy Floyd, Stephane Houy-Towner, Carmela Spinelli, Iris Apfel and Jacob Gitzis attend TRACY STERN “Dinner Takes All” Garden Party with Swank Productions and SalonTEA at L’OLIVIER on July 24, 2006 in New York City.
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Iris Apfel and Joe Dolce attend PAPER MAGAZINE Hosts Dinner for Pedro Almodovar at Indochine on October 5, 2006 in New York City.
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(L-R) Bernard Aidan, Kim Hastreiter, Catherine Malandrino, Iris Apfel and Mickey Boardman attend 2010 PRATT Institute Honors Catherine Malandrino – Fashion Show at The Altman Building on May 13, 2010 in New York City.
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Iris Apfel and Joey Arias attend TARGET and PAPER Host A Private Dinner To Celebrate KIM HASTREITER Receiving her CFDA Eugenia Sheppard Award at Indochine on June 6, 2010 in New York.
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Designer Iris Apfel poses for a photo at 92nd Street Y on May 2, 2018 in New York City.
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