Iris (Barrel) Apfel (1921 - 2024)

Born 29 Aug 1921 in Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, United States

Died 1 Mar 2024 at age 102 in Palm Beach, Florida, United States

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Biography

Iris (Barrel) Apfel was a centenarian, living to age 102.

Iris (Barrel) Apfel has Jewish Roots.

Iris Apfel was an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion icon. She is renown for her eclectic, maximalist fashion sense. She became a fashion icon in her elder years, even signing to IMG in 2019 as a model at age 97. ^[1]

She was born on 29 August 1921 in Astoria, Queens, New York City, New York, USA and was the daughter of Sadye (Asofsky) and Samuel Barrel and Sydne Asofsky. ^{[2] [3]}

Iris Barrel married about 1948 to Carl Bernard Apfel. Together, they built "Old World Textiles", an international design and textile company. They ran the company together until 1992. ^[4]

She led a career in textiles and fashion, including a contract with the White House that spanned nine presidencies. Early in her married life, through her business, she traveled all over the world where she bought non-Western, artisanal clothes. She wore these clothes to clients' high-society parties and become known for her unique style. ^[5]

In retirement, she drew acclaim for a 2005 show for the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art featuring her collection of costume jewelry and styled with clothes on mannequins as she would wear it.

"The fashion designer Duro Olowu told The Guardian in 2010 that Ms. Apfel’s work had a universal quality. “It’s not a trend,” he said. “It appeals to a certain kind of joy in everybody.” ^[6]

In 2021, the Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida, sought a building to house a dedicated gallery of Apfel's clothes, accessories, and furnishings. ^{[7] [8]}

She died on 01 March 2024 at age 102 in Palm Beach, Florida, USA. ^[6]

Education
New York University, New York City, History of Art
University of Wisconsin (Art School)

Events
(2014) "IRIS" movie by Albert Maysles, shown at O Cinema Miami Beach, Miami Film Festival. ^[9]

(2021 August 29) Iris 100th birthday was celebrated through interviews and photographs ...

"Recognisable for her flamboyant style and her creative ability to pair Dior haute couture with elaborately frugal flea market finds, Apfel has attracted a loyal global following including amassing a whopping 1.9 million Instagram followers. :From being the oldest person to ever be made into a Barbie [doll] and children dressing up as her at Halloween, to signing a four-year modelling contract when she turned 97, Apfel’s achievements have been as vibrant as her signature maximalist wardrobe." ^[10]

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia for Iris Apfel
2. ↑ USA Public Records 1970-2009 on FamilySearch.org for Iris (Barre) Apfel, 2008
3. ↑ 1925 New York State Census on FamilySearch.org for Iris Barrel
4. ↑ Iris and Carl Apfel, Love Story published in "Town and Country Living"
5. ↑ The Business of Fashion, adapted from biography; retrieved" Nov 2021
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "Iris Apfel, Eye-Catcher With a Kaleidoscopic Wardrobe, Dies at 102", obituary published in the "New York Times" newspaper
7. ↑ Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History, accessed: 03 Nov 2021
8. ↑ "Iris Apfel, The Goddess of Style" published in The Star, 2016
9. ↑ IMDb for movie, TV and celebrity content; accessed: 03 Nov 2021
10. ↑ CEO Magazine 31 Aug 2021

• 1940 USA Census on FamilySearch.org; with parents Sadye & Samuel Barret

• 1950/Apr/11 USA Census on FamilySearch.org with Iris Appel in household of father Samuel Barrel

See also:

• "Iris Apfel Celebrates Turning 100 by Sharing Her Best Lessons on Love, Life and Plastic Surgery"

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CXyQjPRDMA

• Flickr Photo Credit, created: 08 Mar 2015; Creative Commons license BY-SA 2.0; for Iris Apfel at the Miami Film Festival (MIFF)

• Wikidata: Item Q2112549, en:Wikipedia for Iris (Barrel) Apfel (1921-2024)