Iris Apfel, who in her later years became a designer, style icon, influencer and face of numerous fashion brands, died Friday at her home in Palm Beach, Fla., at age 102.
In a statement, an Apfel spokesman said she died of natural causes surrounded by her longtime caregivers.
Apfel was born Aug. 29, 1921 in Astoria, Queens. She was preceded in death by her 100-year-old husband Carl Apfel in 2015. The couple had homes in Palm Beach and the Upper East Side of Manhattan. She was an only child and had no immediate survivors.
Apfel and her husband started their own textile company, Old World Weavers, in 1950. Aside from having a hand in nine restoration projects at the White House during her multi-decade career, she racked up her share of ad campaigns in recent years including Kate Spade, MAC Cosmetics, Alexis Bittar, HSN and Le Bon Marché.
Apfel travelled the world and developed a passion for flea markets which inspired her work and fueled her passion for collecting fashion and accessories.
With her trademark oversized glasses, red lipstick, and short cropped white hair, Apfel’s status as a fashion icon seemed to blossom with each passing year. Celebrating her centenary, for example, she teamed with H&M on a collaborative capsule and her other collaborations over the years stretched from jewelry to eyewear, handbags to fashion with retailers such as Macy’s. In fact, barely a quarter went by without the announcement of either another Apfel collaboration or an ad campaign in which the tireless Apfel was appearing.
Apfel was signed by IMG for worldwide representation for modeling, appearances and endorsements in 2019.
“I’m very excited. I never had a proper agent,” the 97-year-old Apfel told WWD at the time. She said she previously handled deals herself.
“I’m a do-it-yourself girl. I never expected my life would take this turn so I never prepared for it. It all just happened so suddenly, and I thought at my tender age, I’m not going to set up offices and get involved with all kinds of things. I thought it was a flash in the pan, and it’s not going to last. Somehow, people found me. People would just call. Tommy Hilfiger said that was no way to do it, and he put us together. I’m very excited and very grateful,” said Apfel in 2019.
Reached for comment Friday night, Tommy Hilfiger said, “My wife Dee and I were incredibly blessed to have met and spent time with Iris in the last few years both in Palm Beach and in New York. She was an absolute inspiration and had impeccable style as well as a great appetite and appreciation for everything fashion. She had an incredible presence and aura and always held court wherever she was. We were also honored to participate with her in her mentoring programs she headed for many years with fashion students from the University of Texas. She will be greatly missed, and it is a huge loss for the entire fashion community.”
In other charitable endeavors, the Peabody Museum in Salem, Mass. unveiled the Iris and Carl Apfel wing in 2019, dedicated to 90 complete fashion ensembles of hers as well as 1,000 pieces, plus complete outfits once worn by her late husband.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York dedicated a show, “Rara Avis,” at the Costume Institute to Apfel’s eclectic collection of clothing and jewelry in 2005 – the first living person who was not a designer to have her clothing and accessories exhibited at the Costume Institute. The exhibition catapulted her into the public eye. She was also the subject of a 2015 documentary film, “Iris,” directed by Albert Maysles and was featured in the documentary, “If You’re Not in the Obit, Eat Breakfast,” which premiered on HBO in 2017. Apfel also wrote her first book, “Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon,” which contained an eclectic mix of musings, photos and illustrations, in 2018.
In 2022, Apfel designed The Royal Poinciana Plaza’s surfboard Christmas tree in Palm Beach, which was inspired by her own personal style over the years, featuring bright colors and over-the-top embellishments.
“Palm Beach is incredibly dear to me,” said Apfel at the time. “It’s where I live seasonally, and when on the island, one of my most frequented destinations is The Royal Poinciana Plaza. It’s charming, spirited and home to the most wonderful restaurants and shops.
“What we’ve pulled together emulates my outlook on life. It’s playful, colorful, optimistic and completely unique. I hope everyone who views it smiles, and is inspired to walk to the beat of their own drum,” she said in 2022.
Memorial services in Palm Beach and Manhattan will be held at a later date, the statement said.
This is a developing story.
