Icon Iris Apfel Dies at 102, Leaving a Colorful Legacy

Legendary Style Icon and Designer Iris Apfel Dies at 102 , Leaving Behind a Colorful Legacy

Interior designer, fashion designer, and style icon Iris Apfel died at age 102 on Friday, March 1, at her home in Palm Beach, Florida. Apfel was known for her zest for life and fun, colorful fashions that inspired people across generations.

Apfel became iconic for her personal style. Her oversized glasses and bold use of color drew attention to her, and in 2019, at age 97, she signed a modeling contract with ING to manage her appearances. Fashion came naturally to Apfel, who was born in Astoria, Queens in 1921. She was the only child of Samuel and Sadye Barrel, with Samuel running the family glass and mirror business and Sadye owning a fashion boutique.

Even as a young child, Apfel would take the subway into Manhattan and spend hours exploring antique shops in Greenwich Village. It was at this time that she started her iconic jewelry collection, which would later become part of her showcase at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The museum's Costume Institute dedicated its 2005 exhibition, Rara Avis: The Irreverent Iris Apfel, to her dressing mannequins in her collection of fashion and accessories. It was the first time such an exhibition had been mounted for a living person and is a testament to her influence.

Apfel, who studied art history and attended art school, traveled the world with her husband. These travels highly influenced her personal style, with her incorporating non-Western and artisanal designs into her closet. Many brands tapped her design and fashion expertise, including Mattel, which created a Barbie in her likeness in 2018 and released two “Styled by Iris Apfel” dolls.

Age never slowed Apfel down. In 2022, she partnered with H&M on a clothing line and released a capsule collection with British beauty brand Ciaté London. In fact, at her 100th birthday party, she confessed to People Magazine that taking a break from work wasn't in the cards.

“At 100, what else is there to do except sit around? I don't play bridge. I don't play golf. I love to work, and I really enjoy what I do.”

According to close friend Bruce Sutka, Apfel will be buried next to her husband Carl at Beth David Cemetery in Elmont, New York. Carl passed in 2015 at age 100. The iconic couple was married for 67 years and launched Old World Weavers, a textile firm specializing in replicating 17th, 18th, and 19th-century fabrics, in 1950. The firm worked for nine presidencies, providing fabrics for the White House, and was run by the Apfels until their retirement in 1992.

From the 2014 documentary Iris to a children's book about her life to her 2018 book Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon there are many ways to celebrate and remember Apfel's long life. Her love for design and her passion for life are a reminder that we should savor every moment we have and never stop being our authentic selves as we age.