Iris Apfel is one of the most famous women in the fashion industry. With her creativity, she crossed out the framework of the usual design and created her own style. Her image became the subject of an exhibition at the New York Metropolitan Museum when she turned 84!
Iris Apfel: biography
Iris Apfel was born in 1921 in New York. Her family ran a business selling mirrors and glass, and also had a small clothing store. Iris's father was familiar with many New York designers, which later helped the girl enter the fashion industry.
All of the girl's childhood was surrounded by beautiful things and creativity. Love for art was instilled in Iris by her mother; her collection of things contained a lot of vintage jewelry, clothes, and interior items.
At the age of 10, thanks to Iris's parents, he began his studies at the prestigious art school at the University of Wisconsin. Then she entered the New York Institute, the Faculty of Art History. During her studies, Iris works part-time in the local newspaper Women’s Wear Daily, where she writes advertisements.
In the 1940s, Iris becomes one of the first women in America to wear jeans. This creates a real sensation in the fashion world of New York. As Iris herself recalls, she took out her first pair of jeans for a very long time, because then they were just a man's work uniform, and not a fashionable wardrobe item.
After graduation, Iris starts working as an illustrator. The artistic world opens the way for her to design.
Iris Apfel: career
Thanks to her father's connections, Iris gets a job at a large design bureau in New York. Working on the design of the interiors of hotels, apartments and houses, the girl realizes that most of all she is captivated by the wonderful world of textiles, with its patterns, textures and patterns.
In 1952, together with her wife, she founded Old World Weavers, a company specializing in the reproduction and restoration of antique fabrics. The company is quickly becoming popular with designers, collectors and fashion designers. In the 1960s, Old World Weavers began collaborating with the White House, and Iris was nicknamed the "first queen of textiles."
In order to recreate copies of 16th-18th century fabrics, Iris travels a lot around the world. She looks for ideas in private collections, auctions and flea markets.
As a result, over the decades of travel, the designer accumulates so many things that he has to rent a huge warehouse in New York. In the collection of Iris Apfel, there are many antique interior items, paintings, figurines, dishes, vintage clothing, jewelry.
In 1992 Apfel sells his company and starts working as a private consultant. From year to year it is gaining popularity. And at the age of 80, Iris becomes a real star in the fashion industry. In 2009, the Metropolitan Museum of Art is organizing the Rare Bird: Selected Works from the Iris Barrel Collection. The event is so successful that the designer is literally inundated with letters of thanks. People write to Iris that her style has allowed them to rethink their attitude towards things.
Today, despite her age, Iris Apfel continues to live a full life. She travels a lot around the world, participates in fashion events and starred in commercials. The most eminent companies are striving to get her as a model, for example, the cosmetics brand MAC in 2015 creates a collection "Beauty beyond age", whose face is Iris.
Iris Apfel: personal life
With her husband Karl, Iris met at one of the resorts in New York, in 1948. The novel is developing so rapidly that after four months the young man proposes to her. Iris always remembers her wife with great love and tenderness. Together they lived in perfect harmony for 67 years, in 2015 Karl died.
After his death, Iris sells a large collection of her things, with this gesture she wants to share her memories and love with people. Due to the lack of time for personal life, the couple did not have children, which Iris now regrets very much.
Iris Apfel: style
Iris Apfel's style is unique, her ability to combine designer items with second-hand is filigree. Any image of a designer is remembered by the public for a long time and becomes a trend. Her collection includes haute couture dresses and items from the flea markets of Africa. By the way, Iris Apfel's waist is still unchanged - 65 cm! In one interview, the designer proudly mentions that she can safely wear her pink wedding dress even now.
Since the 1980s, large round glasses have become Apfel's main accessory. She changes the color of the frame regularly, but not the shape. Today it is difficult to imagine a designer without branded glasses.
Apfel talks philosophically about his age and wrinkles and says that today some ladies are better off injecting more brains than Botox. After all, at 95 years old it is impossible to look 50, and moreover it is stupid. Apfel is proud of her wrinkles and perceives them as the best friends with whom she lives her life, bright and admirable!
