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Iris Apfel

Iris Apfel has been called everything from a rare bird of fashion to the oldest living teenager and it is easy to see why. She exudes a completely unique and distinct personal style that mixes both high and low end fashion on a daily basis. On any given day you can see her sporting a combination of Dior, jeans, and classic flea-market finds. Only the rarest of birds could pull clothes combinations such as these off as fabulously as Iris Apfel.

The humble beginnings of Iris began over fifty years ago when she worked as an interior designer specializing in fine silk-woven fabric. With her husband, Carl, she realized an opportunity and founded a company called Old World Weavers. Old World Weavers specialized in creating and weaving identical replicas of fabric that was termed antique-period. Almost single-handedly she built that company into one of the most exclusive and prestigious brand names in the world where fabric lived. Thirteen years ago the company was sold to Stark Carpets and Iris and Carl have stayed with them acting on a consultant basis. The workmanship and exquisite fabric has drawn the attention of the world’s most exclusive clientele – Greta Garbo, Estee Lauder, and Marjorie Merriweather to name a few. The company is also renowned for work in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Flagler Museum in West Palm Beach, and the White House.

She is self-described as a closet designer that had neither sewing nor cutting abilities, but her sketches were remarkable. She carries a deep respect for the fashion and clothes industry and the artistry that is demanding of the true couturier. Her own personal style of bridging high and low end pieces in one outfit has been reflected in an exhibit at the Met and it embodies her as one of the most influential pilgrims in the fashion world. Marrying finds from the flea market with haute couture well before it was the “in” thing to do have demonstrated her extraordinary panache to the fashion industry.