Iris Apfel is a unique and outspoken fashion icon. She has a very unique perspective on everything in life and is one of the most opinionated 94 year olds I know of. She studied art history at NYU and ended up as an interior designer. Iris’ success shows by her designer touches on the White House, nine times! She went on to do business with textiles and began her own firm, producing one of-a-kind materials. Now, Iris travels and speaks to students in hopes of shedding some enlightenment among them. She says, “The reason I chose this was because I’ve had occasions in the last couple of years to work with students, which I never did before, and I find that, unhappily, they may be very well trained in their craft, but they haven’t got a clue as to the outside world,” in her documentary called Iris.
Iris Apfel is a strong woman with a sparky personality. She is an inspiration to myself, not only an example of graceful aging, but also someone who lives her life to the fullest. I will leave you all with my favorite thought of hers, it is a way of thinking every woman should adopt. Iris tells us, “I never felt pretty. I don’t feel pretty now. I’m not a pretty person. I don’t like pretty. So I don’t feel badly. And I think it worked out well, because I found that all the girls I know who got by on their looks, as time went on and they faded, they were nothing. And they were very dissapointed. When you’re somebody like myself, in order to get around and be attractive, you have to develop something, your have to learn something, you have to do something. So you become a bit more interesting,” now go, become more interesting.
HCXO!