Live A Bit More Like 'Iris'

The legacy of legendary Iris Apfel

Iris Apfel, American fashion, textiles and interiors icon. 29 Aug 1921 - 1 Mar 2024

“What you see is what you get. I haven’t changed since all this fame came my way. People say: ‘Oh my god you are an overnight sensation.’ I say yes but my overnight took 72 years to arrive!"

Iris Apfel illustration commissioned by A Heath from G Knowles for Atelier AH

With the sad passing of Iris Apfel at the fabulous age of 102, I wanted to look back and celebrate the life of this brilliant lady who defied all stereotypes of ageing, whilst rocking the very essence of what it means to grab life and live it to the full - despite her own heartbreak of losing her beloved husband Carl.

I was lucky enough to get to interview Iris 6 years ago, around the time her book ‘Iris Apfel Accidental Icon’ hit the shelves. Sub-titled ‘musings of a geriatric starlet’ she became an overnight success in her 90s and one of the true great style icons of our time, revered amongst both fashion and interior design aficionados.

I, like many others had fallen in love with her infectious verve - fascinated with how a lady - at that point aged 96, could be so vital, extraordinary, and have remained so interested in the world around her.

I had approached YOU magazine about the idea of running a story - they were a yes - but I had no means of contacting her, no agent numbers, no direct contact or links, so was slightly winging my ability to pull it off! I went through every hoop imaginable after initially not hearing anything from her publisher in the UK - contacting publicists and photographic agencies until eventually an agent serendipitously gave me her American book publisher contact. Having being pushed from pillar to post I was granted a 20 minute slot to interview Iris about her life and New York home. In our interview she said that if I had tried that hard to make contact, then I was worthy of an interview - fortuitously the expected 20 minutes turned into the most memorable hour.

I thought it might be lovely to share some of our chat. I still have the recorded interview on my phone and I will treasure that forever. I could feel my heart pounding when I rang her number: her distinctive New York voice: ‘Hello, hello - reaching me from her condo in Palm Beach - ‘could you hold on a minute, I’m on my way,’ and then what felt like an eternity as she walked to her lounger to take the call - ‘Let me get my feet up - Ok shoot..’ and we were off.

Hard hitting, honest and incredibly down- to-earth, Iris never expected the fame and adoration that came in her 90s, and as ever remained as grounded and inspirational as she was known for her whole life. She was a great lesson that being yourself is really the only way. Worth is not measured by achievements - and despite her many, she never lost sight of who she was and what she loved.

Near the end of our conversation she asked me if I ever came to New York: that summer I was due to come on a trip with my family visiting NYC, Boston and Nantucket - and she told me to ring her on her cell direct - saying it would be great to meet and have tea. Pre HRT days and full of pre-menopause self doubt hormones by that summer - I never made the call to meet up with her when we were there. Chances are she may have forgotten who I was by then, but in my head and heart those words and the invitation to meet up in person, on my voice recording will stay with me. She loved life, people of all ages, didn’t suffer fools, and cut to the chase quickly - it was a lesson when we got back, for me to sort my hormones out (another chat), banish the self doubt and live a bit more ‘Iris’.

BACKGROUND
When I interviewed Iris, at the age of 96, she had become one of the most loved and admired fashion and interior icons of the past century. Well known for her flamboyant outfits, oversized glasses, and colourful bold jewellery, she was also the only nonagenarian within the fashion industry, defying all preconceptions of age. An acclaimed interior designer and business woman, Iris rose out of retirement to new found fame in 2005, when an exhibition, entitled ‘Rara Avis’ – Rare Bird, was curated by The Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcasing a collection of her outfits and accessories. The show, an overnight success, launched Iris onto the international stage, in her words, as a ‘geriatric starlet’, into the worlds of fashion, modelling, design, film, advertising and education.

Her New York apartment was a micro Palace de Versailles meets eclectic hoarder - filled with things she loved and pieces collected over many years of international travel and buying. She never intended to show her NYC home but a former editor of AD was a good friend and kept asking, so eventually she said yes - but still limited what was seen, to protect her privacy.

The conversation that follows are a record of my questions and Iris’s answers six years ago. I hope you enjoy reading them - they suddenly feel incredibly poignant and I am certain every generation could benefit from her musings on life. A true one-off. Leaving behind a legacy that will far outlive her 102 years.

SOME OF OUR QUESTIONS

Where is your home based in New York? I moved here into our 3-bedroom, Park Avenue apartment in Manhattan, in 1978 with my late husband Carl and split my time between NYC and our condo in Palm Beach.

Did your early years help to shape your style? My family were a big influence on me. I grew up an only child in Queens, New York: my father had a homeware import business and was always bringing home interesting pieces; my mother, owned a fashion boutique and loved dressing me up. As a child, I travelled internationally with my parents, long before it was the norm. I always felt like I was a sponge: absorbing everything, holding onto what I liked and getting rid of the excess somewhere else.

Do you see interiors and fashion as being inextricably linked? For me it’s all part of your creative expression and aesthetic. If you are honest with yourself it is part of your being, so unless you are mimicking somebody you will find your natural style. I definitely dress and decorate with the same spirit.

Describe your New York apartment style? It’s full of things I love and pieces collected over many years of international travel and buying, firstly for my interior design business and later as co-founder of Old World Weavers, our textile manufacturing company, that I ran with Carl until we retired in 1992. I am obsessed with colour, pattern and texture - when you walk in you know it’s my apartment.

As with your fashion style do you mix couture with junk shops finds at home? Always – I have beautiful French, English and Italian antiques, but I love hunting out unique pieces in junkyards, flea markets, and souks. Things don’t always have to be beautiful but they always have a powerful association with my life.

Where did your love of antiques come from? As a child I played hooky on a Thursday to scour the junk shops of Manhattan. I could travel as far as I wanted on the Subway for a nickel and was obsessed with the hunt for unusual finds. I like to forage around and dig and scrape. I don’t get any kick out of going to a very beautiful, elegant shop where everything is preselected. I like to do it myself.

You have worked on some amazing design projects, including the redecoration of The White House for 9 Presidents and clients such as Greta Garbo and Estee Lauder. What was the best bit? We had such an interesting group of people to work for who didn’t want to go showroom to showroom for the latest standard design pieces. If clients wanted to work with me I made them think uniquely - no two homes I designed ever looked alike – every space reflected the people who lived there.

Your style at home? ‘I have always been a maximalist but over time my style has become more highly developed - always a reflection of who I am. At home, I don’t live in a static atmosphere and constantly rearrange furniture and play with things, to see how they look with this or that.

What do you feel about interior design today? So much décor today, although beautiful, looks like an exceedingly expensive suite in a grand hotel, but without any soul. Many people look like they don’t belong in the background they are put into - constantly live in someone else’s image doesn’t make for peace and happiness. I would rather have made a few mistakes in my time, than have created something so perfect that it feels obnoxious – but that’s just me.

As a fashion icon, you have always been ahead of your time: the first lady in NYC to wear jeans and long boots. Was the same true of your home design? My home has always been a reflection of who I am. I dress myself and home to please me, I am not influenced by others and don’t take myself too seriously – humour is important.

You are a big fan of Jazz – has that impacted your style? Jazz is all about improvisation and drawing on different cultural influences. I have lots of multicultural pieces and love how marvellous they look mixed together in the most unexpected way. People seem to like that.

Secret to a happy home? Happy inmates. If you not a happy person or not happy with whom you live with you, then it won’t be a happy home.

Home – place for entertaining or a retreat? For me is a very private place. I like to have people in once in a while, as I like to be involved, I don’t like being an outsider, but privacy is everything. When I come to Palm Beach it is my sanctuary, like a cave - my place to rest. I like to surround myself with thing I love.

Do you find it hard to switch off? Yes and no - it depends… I should relax more but my head is always buzzing with something.

Losing Carl was it hard to find the energy to carry on? I was together with Carl for 68 years, he was the love of my life. My husband was a darling – losing him has been a huge loss. I have always worked like a fiend but since he died I have been working day and night. I can’t stay at home and cry all day - he loved what I was doing and would have wanted me to carry on.

Would you consider leaving the contents of your home as a legacy for a permanent exhibition space? Nobody has ever asked me or approached me, but it’s a very interesting thought, thank you so much. (I so hope this happens now she is no longer with us. It would make for such a fantastic exhibition, to honour her life).

How did it feel becoming a global style icon after the Met show? Totally ridiculous and surreal - I still don’t believe it, it’s something I never, ever expected. I thought I would do the show and it would be over with. My husband loved it too, he was so encouraging - we would both laugh and laugh about it and say what’s going on. I’m now different to how I was 70 years ago, but now known all over the world.

Why do you think you are so popular with the younger generation too? I think there is a big hunger amongst young people for suitable role models. People are dying for old fashioned mystery and glamour, which has long since been wiped out of our vocabulary. I don’t think it will come back, so I guess my ways have an appeal.

Social media convert? I don’t do social media, I abhor it, I hate it and think it is a curse. Feel sorry for young people, it’s like becoming robots. Too many live vicariously through celebrities’ lives. They must have their own experiences, not enjoy someone else’s. I think too many young people think being curious is pressing a button and getting an answer.

You have an Instagram page though? It’s insane I have over 900,000 followers (now 3.1 million) - people have taken pages in my name but it’s not me. It’s a charming young woman in Vienna. I never look at it.

Letter or email? Pigeon post! Technologically I am still living in the 17^th century!

What type of people do you surround yourself with? Always a very varied group - young, old, black, white, yellow, gay, straight. I don’t like living in any kind of ghetto, I like a mix. It’s hard to find the good ones but once you do you hang on to them.

What gets you up in the morning? The big man upstairs – I am very grateful.

Best thing about getting old? Don’t have to worry about how I look in a bikini.

The worst thing? Knowing that time is passing and you don’t know how much time is left. That’s not very pleasant – I don’t like to think about it that’s why I don’t.

Where do you find the energy for all you do at 96? I work so hard, it’s all work, work, work - then I have an exhaustion attack - can’t do anything and get wiped out. My time at Palm Beach recoups me and I start again.

Is the real Iris as flamboyant in private as in real life? What you see is what you get. I haven’t changed since all this fame came my way. People say: ‘Oh my god you are an overnight sensation.’ I say yes but my overnight took 72 years to arrive!

Iris Apfel: 29 August 1921 - 1 March 2024
Rest in peace and thank you for all you brought to the world. Heaven will be all the more colourful and wonderful with you in it.