Red lipstick, big round wire-rimmed glasses, shiny bracelets, orange fur coat, and a soul that never gets old… The ageless heroine of this picture is a fashion icon at 100 years old and one of the representatives of maximalist style: Iris Apfel.

Iris’ keen interest in fashion, interior design, and aesthetics is understandable since her mother had a fashion boutique in which the prospective icon used to spend a lot of time and her father was a manufacturer of interior architectural decorative objects. New York’s future star spent her childhood getting familiar with the artwork of her parents. After graduating from the New York University History of Art department, Iris started her career as an editor in the famous fashion magazine, Women’s Wear Daily, then began to work as an interior architect for Eleanor Johnson and later in 1950 she founded a textile company called Old World Weavers with her husband and this exciting adventure continued until 1992. Specializing in the reproduction of fabrics from the 17th, 18th, and 19th Centuries, the company undertook the decoration work of The White House for 9 presidential terms from Harry Truman’s to Bill Clinton’s administration.

Professor at the University of Texas, Austin, style icon, interior architect, jewelry designer, fashion critic, editor, and designer says; “I have no rules; because at the end of the day I just break them.”

During her long art journey, Iris Apfel has made the news with her maximalist style, has become an inspiration for a lot of brands as a personal stylist, graced the cover of magazines, and this “habit” of hers still continues. In 2018, at 97 years old, Iris signed her first international modeling contract with IMG agency and proved that it is never too late to go before the camera. In 2005, The Costume Institute under the roof of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) held the Rara Avis exhibition consisting of her clothes and accessories. This exhibition called “Rare Bird” was so successful that it was later also displayed in other big cities of the USA. This was the first exhibition that was devoted to costumes but paid homage to a style icon rather than a designer. Having reached celebrity status and turning into a fashion icon after this, Apfel created her own accessory brand called Rara Avis. For Iris Apfel who has a sophisticated, colorful, and eclectic wardrobe, the key elements of her style are, of course, accessories. Moving forward almost with the spirit of a collector, Iris’ fondness for accessories has its share of traveling. And the result is a unique collection of accessories gathered from and loaded with memories from all across the world.

Her experiences in designing went beyond the field of fashion and accessories and entered the world of jewelry. At the age of 94 in 2015, Iris Apfel promoted her first new jewelry collection. The new, “smart” jewelry collection of the designer strengthened her innovative status in the fashion world. This collection of the brand Rara Avis which was promoted in Las Vegas not only completed a fashionable look but also included jewels that help its owner check their health and keep them physically fit.

The collection consists of three bracelets: Kingston (classic), Duchess (modern), and Calder (body and contours). These types of jewels are mostly for modern people that maintain an active lifestyle and are a true example of the fashion of the future. Considering that Iris has lived in this world for a century, her design practice is really surprising. The jewelry can follow your activities throughout the day with its new tactile analytical technology and warn you if your results are under the normal rate. The positive energy nurtured by Iris’ creativity will certainly surprise you when you check out her Instagram account even briefly. This special lady who knows how to decorate both herself and her living space like a work of art manages to maintain her inspiring influence on social media as well.