This amazing woman is called a style icon. “The oldest teenager in the world”, as the extravagant lady calls herself, surprises the audience with extraordinary costumes and unusual taste. Combining edgy outfits in her wardrobe with things found in the flea markets of the world, she boldly refutes the stereotypes that only young people can be fashionable.
Emoji for birthday
Creating her own collection of clothes, Iris Apfel (correctly her name - Iris - sounds like Iris in Russian) makes plans for the future and admits that in our world it is much more important to be happy than to be stylishly dressed. On August 29, the influential person in the fashion world will celebrate her 95th birthday, and a kind of gift for her for the holiday will be the release of emoji - icons like emoticons that are incredibly popular on social networks. “I don’t even know what it is, but I agreed to develop images with my face. If they make someone happy, I will be very happy,” explains the designer.
innate taste
Apfel was born in one of the districts of New York in the family of an entrepreneur and an emigrant from Russia. Rich parents from early childhood surrounded their daughter with love, who had practically no problems. The only thing that bothered her was her own appearance.
Not too pretty girl did not like to look in the mirror. However, Iris did not develop complexes thanks to her intelligence, sense of humor and innate taste. The girl recalled how in her youth the owner of the store called her and said that the offended beauty of the lady has a special gift that will help in life - her unique style.
Designer is a calling
This is exactly what the girl proved by getting a job in the fashion industry. She first worked for Women's Wear Daily magazine. Later, interested in creating beautiful interiors, Iris Apfel began to collaborate with a well-known specialist in her field. She tidied up apartments that were for sale, and pulled out original things from underground, making the premises look attractive in the eyes of buyers. So the rebel realized that design is her true calling.
Fateful meeting
A stylishly dressed girl at the age of 27 meets her future husband, who at the very first meeting was amazed by her appearance. Enamored Karl daily admired the wardrobe of his beloved and four months later made an offer to Iris Apfel. The young lady did not think for a long time and never regretted her decision. She speaks of her husband with great love, saying that only with him does she find a common language and complete understanding.
Happy married couple
One day, a man mentioned that his wife would be much more effective if she corrected her big nose. "Dream more!" - answered Iris Apfel, who did not experience complexes and was quick on the tongue.
Children are the personal pain of the family, which, unfortunately, did not acquire heirs. In a playful manner, the fashionista answers the indiscreet questions of journalists that it is simply impossible to do everything in this life. However, this is an extremely successful marriage that has lasted for more than 60 years.
A married couple is always and everywhere together and in any undertaking support each other. The happy wife Iris Apfel talks about this in numerous interviews, her biography is a confirmation of this. In the late 50s, Karl and his wife created a textile company that produced fabrics with original prints. True, after 40 years they sold their offspring to new owners, but Iris remained to work as a consultant.
The ability to combine things
What is the secret of this amazing woman? Iris Apfel, whose photo often appears in fashion magazines, has a special ability to combine branded outfits with cheap things. A travel lover, she buys clothes and brings original accessories from every trip.
The fashion star admits that three rooms in her apartment are occupied by a wardrobe full of the most extravagant finds. And Apfel is in no hurry to part with any of them. It is noteworthy that even the dress that she was wearing at the time of the first date is still stored in her bins.
New York City's first woman in jeans
The designer rejects fashion standards, choosing things for himself. She even let it slip that she had not paid attention to designer collections before and did not want to get acquainted with famous couturiers.
The extravagant rebel in her old age often dresses like a teenager. She not only loves unusual clothes with bright accessories, but also loves to dress in pants and a regular T-shirt. By the way, they say that Iris was the first woman in New York who bought jeans. She dared to appear in society in trousers that were previously worn only by men.
Emphasis on accessories
The creative personality works with the HSN brand to create amazing jewelry collections. Author's works reflect their own preferences, and Iris Apfel has never made an accessory, paying tribute to fashion trends.
The designer claims that jewelry is the most interesting direction. You can have one dress, but diversify it with beads and bracelets so that you get not one, but several images that emphasize the individuality of a person. It is curious, but a woman who does not part with things often sells her collections of expensive jewelry.
Career milestone
2005 was a landmark year for Iris: she opened an exhibition of her outfits, joking that it was not just an exhibition, but a foray into her rich dressing room. Numerous collections of clothes and more than 300 accessories appeared before the eyes of the public. Apfel was pleased that the fashion event was attended not only by ordinary spectators, but also by celebrities.
After the exhibition, ordinary Americans flooded the diva with letters of gratitude, who were delighted with the spectacle they saw, and many admitted that they began to relate to the choice of things differently. Viewers were blown away by how Iris Apfel combined flea market items with expensive outfits. The unbridled eclecticism of the experimenter by nature pleased the visitors, who fell in love with a fashionable cocktail of diverse textures of fabrics and colors. Things that were incongruous in style, decorated with accessories, looked elegant and catchy.
After a colorful event, some women even decided to change not only their appearance, but their whole lives. For many, the exhibition was a real discovery, proving that you can be yourself and not look like a city freak. And the famous designer Ralph Lauren wanted Apfel, whose hallmark was round big glasses and a huge amount of jewelry, to work for him in the company.
Apfel's statements
The multifaceted Iris Apfel, whose quotes diverge like hot cakes, after this event became a very recognizable person. Her statements are loved to print various publications, as they have a lot of sincerity and humor.
For example, the star once admitted that her wardrobe is growing every day, which cannot be said about a thin waist.
One day, Iris got so cold that she rushed to look for something fur in her things, but she could not find it. “I rummaged through everything, and then my eyes fell on a mohair cape from the sofa. Wrapped up in it, I felt great,” laughs the designer.
Having never done plastic surgery, a bright personality teases those who dream of eternal youth: “No matter what you inject into your face, at 80 no one can boast of the appearance of a 30-year-old charmer. Humble yourself and add intelligence, not Botox.
"I'm the oldest teenager in the world" - I'm sure Iris Apfel. She is now 95 years old, and she really is full of vitality and drive, which some teenagers would envy. Rebellious images, bright appearance, love for experiments - all this is her. She built a successful career, lived a happy life, tried on hundreds of images and seems to have unraveled the secret of longevity and beauty!
The story of Iris Apfel is one of the clearest examples of how, by following your heart, you can reach the desired heights. About the secret of her professional success, she says simply: "You can buy fashion. But style is an innate feeling. The main key is to learn to understand yourself, which can take years."
Mother Iris was the owner of a boutique in America, and her father was engaged in the purchase of exclusive mirrors and glass decor items. Is it any wonder that Iris had a well-developed sense of style as a child, and later, when she herself decided to connect her life with design, her parental contacts helped her a lot. Iris began her career by working in a women's magazine that tells about fashion news.
After getting married at 27, she decided it was time to start her own business. Together with her husband, she opened a textile company, which began to restore fabrics. The business turned out to be in demand and profitable: many historical museums did not fail to use the services of specialists. "My husband says, I look at a piece of fabric and listen to the threads. They tell me stories. They sing songs to me," says Iris about herself.
There were truly stellar moments in Apfel's career: for example, she carried out orders for 9 American presidents, which is already unique. In addition, she has established a position in the market for her tissue repair company, and has repeatedly become the face of fashion cosmetic brands. The name Iris was included in The Guardian's list of the 50 most beautiful women aged 50+. Her collections are exhibited by the best museums in America.
Iris lived an amazingly happy life with her husband Carl Apfel. He passed away last year in three days of his 101st birthday. In addition to the commonality of views and the joint business of developing the company, Iris appreciated a wonderful sense of humor in his lover. The ability to laugh is the main thing that helped to avoid stressful moments in marriage.
Iris always talks about fashion and style with enthusiasm. She still lectures at the University of Texas, works as a consultant for a company she once founded, and gives numerous interviews. She is sure that the process of searching for clothes is an exciting activity akin to hunting. She is not afraid to rethink designer things, arrange them in her own way, add massive accessories. Glasses remain an invariable attribute of her image, it is almost impossible to find a photo in which the designer would be without glasses. About herself, she says this: "I am a person of color. I would never have become famous if I had not experimented. I love big bags. My glasses are so big that they do not fit into small bags."
stylish and elegant American women that can be found in Manhattan, prove: real ladies look great at any age.
The other day I was talking to a friend about old age. What we will become. I remembered a photograph of Nina Khrushcheva, who, against the background of Jackie Kennedy, looked like a natural milkmaid in a headscarf. I would like to remain a modern energetic cheerful old woman. I don’t want to smell like old age, I want to have my own individual style and favorite hobby. We even laughed at the fact that I could become a bridal stylist and purchase a new brand called Babba Zhenya Cool Bridal Stylist. And what a lot of fun! A refined lady of Balzac age comes to dress up and paint the bride! Apparently, the Universe felt that I needed to set a good example. And in my subscriptions I read an interview with Iris Apfel. First look at her photo, she is 90 years old! And now click on the link “next” and read interesting facts about this amazing, talented, tireless woman.
When you look at Iris Epfel for the first time, what thought comes to your mind: what kind of strange woman is she?
But really, she's brilliant. Not because, together with her husband, she was able to create the textile company Old World Weavers, whose fabrics were ordered by the most famous extravagant personalities, not because she worked for 9 US presidents on the restoration of the White House, not because in 2005 the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York organized her design show, aptly naming her style "Rara Avis (rare bird) - daring Iris Epfel".
Curriculum vitae
Iris Epfel is an American businesswoman born in New York on August 29, 1921, an interior designer and style icon. The only child of Samuel Barrell, owner of the glass business. Mom has Russian roots.
Iris studied art history at New York University and attended art school at the University of Wisconsin. She has worked for Women's Wear Daily and for interior designer Eleanor Johnson. She was also an assistant to illustrator Robert Goodman.
In 1948 she married Karl Epfel. Two years later, they created the successful textile firm Old World Weavers, whose clients included Greta Garbo, Estée Lauder and others. During this time, Iris took part in many design projects, including working on a special project for the White House, outliving 9 presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan and Clinton.
Iris is a professor and consultant on style and fashion. The most capacious statement characterizing Iris: “Iris Epfel lives brightly, she dresses and looks the same as her three-room apartment in Manhattan on Park Avenue” (Architectural Digest).
A life
First of all, Iris Epfel is a real style icon. She has created a personal style for herself, mixing whatever she likes without worrying that she might look grotesque as a result.
“I am a hopeless romantic. I buy things because I fall in love with them. I will never buy a thing just because it is expensive. My husband says about me that I look at the fabric and listen to the whispering of the threads. They tell me a story. They sing me a song. I should have reactions on a physical level. Like lightning. It's a very funny feeling!"
This old woman in huge round glasses and red lipstick in the first minutes after viewing her photo causes, if not surprise, then sincere admiration for the courage that she probably has, since she is not afraid to look exactly the way she wants at such a venerable age.
Now we are talking about Iris Apfel - an extraordinary and unforgettable woman who, in her old age, received the title of style icon. For the first time, the fashion world started talking about her after 2009, when the personal exhibition "Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Barrel Apfel Collection" was held in New York ), where about 82 outfits and over 300 different accessories were presented, representing only a part of her wardrobe. There were a couple of critics and designers who gladly made her many interesting proposals. Thus, a collection of decorative cosmetics from Mac was born, two lines of jewelry presented on the website Yoox.com, as well as several photo shoots and interviews in glossy magazines and popular fashion publications.
At first glance, it may seem that this sweet old lady belongs to the number of fashion editors or, perhaps, stylists, but this is not entirely true. In reality, Iris never sought to conquer the heights of the fashionable Olympus, but simply dressed in the way that was convenient for her.
Brief facts from the biography
A unique woman was born on August 29, 1921 in the notorious area of New York called Queens. The curious girl's father was Samuel Barrel, who supplies mirrors and glass used in interior design, and her mother is a Russian immigrant, Sadie, who owns her own fashion boutique.
At the age of 12, she first noticed her passion for clothes and accessories, which later turned into a real obsession. Even then, being an inquisitive teenager, she tried to independently select original outfits for herself, which she necessarily supplemented with a large number of bracelets.
After graduating from high school, Iris entered New York University, where she studied history. In parallel with this, she also attended art history classes. At the age of 19, she managed to get a job at the popular newspaper Women's Wear Daily, where she really wanted to build a great career. However, her dreams of a promotion were not destined to come true and, deciding not to waste time, she turned her attention to a completely different kind of activity - interior design.
Carried away by a new business, an enterprising woman in the 50s of the last century decided to open her own enterprise "Old World Weavers" for the production and restoration of ancient fabrics. By this time, she had already married Karl Apfel, who happily helped his wife in all her endeavors. The company turned out to be so successful that representatives of the Metropolitan Museum and the White House were often seen among its clients when they needed to purchase the necessary materials for restoration work.
But having reached retirement age, Iris and her husband in 1992 sold their offspring, leaving behind the position of a simple consultant. As part of this, she often took part in multiple restoration projects, and therefore traveled half the world in search of original materials and details.
While traveling, the fashionista in her heart did not forget to replenish her incredible wardrobe. Thus, it turned out to be made up of the most diverse things in terms of texture, price and year of production, which she manages to combine in a way that no one has done before.
And thanks to the aforementioned exhibition, held in 2009, about the ability of the “oldest teenager in the world” (as Iris calls herself) to dress in such an inimitable manner, almost all fashionable glosses began to speak, which made it possible to add the proud title of Icon to the number of her regalia. style. She loves to wear jeans, often chooses fabrics in muted colors and believes that even the most expensive items deserve to be worn.
Never assuming that she could be called that, the old woman still wonders why those around her are so delighted with what she considers a simple game (namely, drawing up images on the verge of eclecticism). At the same time, she happily agrees to participate in interesting projects, such as shooting in a fashion photo shoot with a young Karlie Kloss for advertising clothes from the Kate Spade brand, which was released in February this year.
In addition, she plans (now she is 93 years old!) To create her own line of jewelry and actively work as a professor at the University of Texas. On top of that, there will soon be a book and a biopic outlining her accomplishments in the world.
Read also
Iris Apfel is one of the most extravagant women in the fashion world who has always been ahead of her time. She mixes styles with great skill. Her eclecticism often links haute couture with streetwear and flea market finds, she effortlessly combines 19th century textiles with fashion trends from Dolce&Gabbana, Oskar de la Renta.
She is a designer, collector and creator of one of the world's most prestigious textile firms, Old World Weavers. In the course of her extensive career, she has been a part of many historic restoration projects, including work at the White House.
Iris about herself:
“I am the oldest teenager in the world. And all these American style icons are too perfect for me.”
Information about her life is very, very little. What is known is that Iris was born and raised in Queens during the Great Depression. It is also known that she is married and her husband's name is Carl.
Now she is 88 years old, but she is still full of energy and strength, and also has not lost her sense of humor and curiosity, which, as Iris herself says, were the two biggest gifts to her fate. And it was these qualities that allowed her to acquire unique jewelry, accessories and clothes, which filled many closets in her house.
In an interview, Iris says that she did not have a goal to collect a collection, buying clothes for her is more like hunting, excitement:
“I like to crawl around and dig. Not very fun, just sit in the store and try on things offered by stylists and consultants. I like the process of finding and "assembling" clothes. It's fun."
Many call Iris "Rare Bird of Fashion" - "Rare Bird in the Fashion World." In 2009, her entire costume collection is exhibited by the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of New York. The exhibition is called "Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Barrel Apfel Collection".
Favorites are 82 ensembles and about 300 accessories collected all over the world, from designer boutiques to small shops. Iris Apfel's style of dress, and the characteristic feature of her collection as a whole, is the combination of the incompatible.
“I think the process of dressing should be a creative experiment. Cheerful. Delicious. With the use of amazingly made things. For me, the key to my own style is accessories. My huge glasses and bracelets are considered my hallmark. I have amassed an extensive collection of bags, belts and jewelry that I would not be able to exist without. I don't follow fashion trends, but I buy what I like, from zen-minimalist to baroque pieces. I can mix it all up and it's not hard for me to have my own style."