The self-described “geriatric starlet” died on Friday at the age of 102, as announced on her official Instagram page. Apfel, known for extravagant outfits and huge round glasses, had posted on the platform the day before, where she is followed by 2.9 million people. Until recently, she was also a regular guest at fashion shows, to which she appeared in a wheelchair.
Born in 1921 into a Jewish family in the New York borough of Queens, Apfel first studied art history and then worked as an interior decorator. Among other things, she worked on the interior design of the White House for nine US presidents.
Picture gallery: The colorful world of Iris Apfel († 102)
(Photo: Astrid Stawiarz (GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA)) Bild 1/7
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Over the decades she collected a huge number of designer dresses and became a style icon. The Metropolitan Museum in New York dedicated an exhibition to her wardrobe in 2005. Apfel worked with large companies such as H&M and appeared in an advertising campaign for the car brand Citroën. The filmmaker Albert Maysles created a memorial to her in 2014 with the documentary “Iris.”
Apfel always encouraged women to dress unusually and not to follow a one-size-fits-all look. “Dare to be different. Be yourself, be individual,” she once said. “If you wear something and it doesn’t suit you, don’t worry. The style police won’t arrest you.”
