Iris Apfel, the interior designer and fashion tastemaker who rose to popularity as an octogenarian, died at the age of 102.
Lori Sale, Apfel’s agent, confirmed her death on Friday, saying that “working alongside her was the honour of a lifetime”.
She was a visionary in every sense of the term. She observed the world through a unique lens, one ornamented with massive, unusual spectacles perched on her nose. Through those lenses, she perceived the world as a kaleidoscope of colors, a canvas of patterns and prints,” Sale explained.
Apfel is said to have died on Friday at her home in Palm Beach, Florida.
As a leading authority in ancient fabrics, Apfel provided advice on restoration projects, including work at the White House.
She has been the focus of several museum exhibitions and a documentary, and more recently starred in commercials for H&M, eBay, Citroën, and even had a Barbie doll produced in her likeness.
The bespectacled New Yorker has carved out a vibrant, unique personal style with a lot of wit. In her Instagram bio, where she has over 2 million followers, she describes herself as “the world’s oldest living teenager” and writes “more is more and less is a bore”.
Tommy Hilfiger, a US designer, paid tribute to Apfel, describing her as a “innovator and leader” in the world of textiles and style who “will go down in history”.
In a statement to PA, he said: “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon due of her extraordinary talent as an artist and influencer. She has had an incredible impact on so many people with her large heart and magical touch with everyone she meets.”
Following its popularity, the exhibition expanded to additional museums, including the Weston Museum of Art in Florida. In 2010, she left her whole Rare Bird of Fashion collection to the Harvard Essex Museum in Massachusetts.
Iris Barrel was born in Queens, New York, in 1921. She studied art history at New York University and then went to art school at the University of Wisconsin.
Her first work was as a copywriter for Women’s Wear Daily. She later worked for Elinor Johnson, an interior designer, and Robert Goodman, an illustrator.
She became Dazed magazine’s oldest cover star at the age of 91, and in 2019, after receiving advise from Hilfiger, she signed with IMG, one of the world’s largest modeling agencies. At 101, she earned her first beauty campaign, collaborating with Ciaté London on a makeup collection.
When asked about ageing in a 2018 interview, Apfel replied, “I wouldn’t want to stop the clock. No, that would be extremely dull. It would be like being caught in a time machine or warp. I dislike that. “I believe variety is the spice of life.”
