Iris Apfel, renowned New York designer and style icon, dies aged 102
Apfel passed away at her residence in Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday.
Lori Sale, Apfel’s agent, announced her passing on Friday and expressed that working with her was a great honor.
Apfel, born in 1921 to a Jewish family in New York, initially focused on studying art history and specialized in interior design, with a particular emphasis on textiles.
In her Instagram bio, she refers to herself as “the world’s oldest living teenager” and has accumulated over 2 million followers.
US designer Tommy Hilfiger paid tribute to Apfel, praising her as an influential figure in the textile and style industries who will be remembered in history.
Lenny Kravitz, a US singer, and Hannah Waddingham, an actress from Ted Lasso, also honored someone.
The self-proclaimed “geriatric starlet” was recognized for her unique trimmed white hair, large glasses, vibrant lipstick, and chunky beads.
Apfel achieved the height of her career in the 1980s and 1990s and attended Paris fashion shows for almost 50 years. His projects included the White House.
She was a visionary in every aspect. She viewed the world uniquely through large, unusual spectacles perched on her nose. Sale stated that she viewed the world through those lenses as a colorful kaleidoscope, a canvas of patterns and prints.
She was included in multiple museum exhibitions and a documentary. Additionally, she appeared in advertising campaigns for H&M, eBay, and Citroën. A Barbie doll was also created in her image.