Iris Apfel : A Rare "Fashion Bird"
Lire en FrançaisIris Apfel is an American businesswoman, an interior designer and an international fashion Icon.
Born August 29, 1921 in Astoria, Queens, New York, Iris is the only child of Samuel Barrel, whose family owned a glass-and-mirror business, and his Russian-born wife, Sadye, who owned a fashion boutique. She studied Art History at New York University and worked for Women’s Wear Daily and for interior designer Elinor Johnson ; She was also an assistant to illustrator Robert Goodman.
In 1948, she married Carl Apfel. Two years later they launched the textile firm Old World Weavers and ran it until they retired in 1992.
During this time, Iris Apfel took part in several design restoration projects, including work at the White House for nine presidents: Truman, Eisenhower, Nixon, Kennedy, Johnson, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton.
In 2005, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) featured an exhibit ,all about Iris, titled : "Rara Avis" (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel. Iris has suddenly become a staple of hip New York life ever since – photographed by Bruce Weber, admired by designers such as Isaac Mizrahi and Duro Olowu, featured in Paper magazine, Vogue and the New York Times ... even blown up beyond life-size in the window of Barneys department store.
What sets Iris apart is her colourful , young spirit and also the fact that she's not trying to hide her age , she's completely true to herself , she loves what she is , she enjoys been aged ; This is such a rare thing in our "bottox age" where everybody wants to look younger . Iris has her own philosophy about aging , and it's one worth meditating :
“Aging gracefully is about no heavy makeup, and not too much powder because it gets into the wrinkles, and you know, to not get turtle eyelids, and to not try to look young. You don’t have to look like an old fuddy-duddy, but I believe it was Chanel who said, ‘Nothing makes a woman look so old as trying desperately hard to look young.’ I think you can be attractive at any age. I think trying to look like a spring chicken when you’re not makes you look ridiculous. I’m very opposed to plastic surgery. I think if—God forbid—you’re in an accident, or if you were cursed with a nose like Pinocchio, you’d have to go and get it fixed. But just to get nipped and tucked, I think it’s very painful, very expensive, and having been in hospitals as much as I have, subjecting yourself to surgery when you don’t need it is not a smart thing to do. But what do I know? I mean, almost everybody does it. I think if women put some more of the time and money they put on their heads in their heads, they’d be better off. I mean, nobody’s going to think you’re thirty-two, so what’s the point?” — Iris Apfel’s Top Shelf (1/04/12)
What sets Iris apart is her colourful , young spirit and also the fact that she's not trying to hide her age , she's completely true to herself , she loves what she is , she enjoys been aged ; This is such a rare thing in our "bottox age" where everybody wants to look younger . Iris has her own philosophy about aging , and it's one worth meditating :
“Aging gracefully is about no heavy makeup, and not too much powder because it gets into the wrinkles, and you know, to not get turtle eyelids, and to not try to look young. You don’t have to look like an old fuddy-duddy, but I believe it was Chanel who said, ‘Nothing makes a woman look so old as trying desperately hard to look young.’ I think you can be attractive at any age. I think trying to look like a spring chicken when you’re not makes you look ridiculous. I’m very opposed to plastic surgery. I think if—God forbid—you’re in an accident, or if you were cursed with a nose like Pinocchio, you’d have to go and get it fixed. But just to get nipped and tucked, I think it’s very painful, very expensive, and having been in hospitals as much as I have, subjecting yourself to surgery when you don’t need it is not a smart thing to do. But what do I know? I mean, almost everybody does it. I think if women put some more of the time and money they put on their heads in their heads, they’d be better off. I mean, nobody’s going to think you’re thirty-two, so what’s the point?” — Iris Apfel’s Top Shelf (1/04/12)
The eyewear label eyebobs collaborated with the lady to create a limited edition frame named “Iris,” inspired by her style . MAC cosmetics also collaborated with her on a line that emulates her style with bright lipsticks and colorful eyeshadows.
So ,who said there is no more life passed 60 ? Iris shows us how important it is to pursue our dreams no matter what , to stay true to who we are , to what we want and to enjoy life ! Like she says so well : “You only have one trip, you may as well enjoy it.”- Click to Discover her exuberant New York Appartment
- Click to watch her interview by "Advanced Style" Blogger
