Iris Apfel: Rare Bird of Fashion

By Marni Elyse Katz
January 29, 2010

Iris Apfel, an 88-year-old New York society figure, interior designer, and co-founder of textile design company Old World Weavers is style incarnate. She’s been incorporating ideas that magazines are touting like they’re today’s news into her wardrobe for decades. Principles that include mixing high and low (“the less it costs, the better I like it”), celebrating ethnic styles (“my tastes go to the exotic"), and accessorizing the little black dress to create “umpteen” outfits have always been part of her style lexicon. She says, “I just mix and put things together the way the spirit moves me.”

Eighty-seven of this style icon’s ensembles are dramatically showcased in “Rare Bird of Fashion The Irreverent Iris Apfel” at the Peabody Essex Museum, on view through February 7^th. Apfel collaborated with Harold Koda, Curator-in-Charge of The Costume Institute at Metropolitan Museum of Art to create the show, which initially opened there in 2005. Last year, Apfel traveled to Salem, Massachusetts to work with Paula Richter, Curator of Exhibitions and Research at PEM, who oversaw the current installation. Apfel was on site for two weeks, tweaking outfits and mannequins to ensure every element was displayed to its best advantage. She also designed a window display at Nordstrom in Peabody while in town. Her distinctive personality and approach to fashion shines through in a short video she produced with the retailer called “Iris Apfel: An Eye for Style”, in which she explains, “I have to wear bold looking things to look like anything.”

Bold is an understatement. The exhibit's inventively styled outfits and case upon case of fabulous, over-the-top accessories encompass a world of style that spans decades, and includes couture masterpieces, flea market finds, tribal, ceremonial, and clerical antique pieces. If only we had Apfel's innate style, about which she says simply, “I just mix and put things together the way the spirit moves me.” Interestingly, a lot of the looks are precisely on trend today, and most would still look divine. Our faves? The Gucci by Tom Ford python skin trousers, the Hermes orange Geoffrey Beene wool jersey jumpsuit, the ‘60s Donald Brooks black cock feather party dress, and the 1962 Norman Norell silk crêpe de chine anemone evening coat.

When we inquired as to whether the 88-year-old icon has sourced any of her magnificent treasures online, PEM publicist Whitney Riepe told us that Apfel is completely computer illiterate. However, Riepe shared this interesting insight: “In many ways, Iris' method of collecting and shopping is very proto-eBay. She has always hunted high and low, pulling items from Parisian runway shows, New York City flea markets, and the rural markets of North Africa and the Far East. She buys vintage as readily as she buys contemporary pieces and finds inspiration in unusual places [and from unusual things]—a curtain pull, a slingshot, an ammo belt, or an eight foot wooden ostrich—just as easily as she does from a swanky designer's atelier. I think it is safe to say that if Iris were born in the Internet generation, she would be a total eBay fanatic!” We couldn’t agree more.

1. Photo © David Gehosky: Nina Ricci haute couture duck and rooster feather jacket by Gerard Pipart, late 1970s; slashed suede trousers, Moschino, 1997. 2. Photo © David Gehosky: left, Tunisian wedding tunic with hammered metal embroidery, early 20th century; Givenchy, necklaces,1970s; right: Patchwork jacket, Oscar de la Renta, circa 2000. 3. Photo © Eric Boman: Angora twin sweater set, Krizia, 1980s; Embroidered Qing Dynasty skirt; Silk and jade Qing Dynasty necklace; Chinese bird cages, 1950s.

4. Photo © Max Yawney: Afghan coat with applied silver metal coins and charms inset with turquoise and cornelian, 20th century. Italian faux coral bead necklace, mid-20th century. 5. Photo © Max Yawney: Nepalese fringe cape, 1970’s; buffalo checked wool skirt, Gianfranco Ferré, 1990s; snail shells Indian necklace, early 20th century; assorted Chinese and Tibetan bone necklaces; Ivory and wood Indian bangles. 6. Photo © Max Yawney: Lanvin haute couture by Jules-François Crahay silk faille evening dress, circa 1985; Silver, amber, coral, and turquoise Tibetan necklaces, early 20th century. Silver and amber Bhutanese cuff bracelet, , late 19th century.

Here's How to Capture Iris Apfel's Look

1. Rare Old Santo Domingo Pueblo Green Turquoise Necklace (buy it now price, $1,495) Apfel’s accessory collection includes numerous pieces of chunky turquoise Native American jewelry.

2. Early Iradj Moini Amethyst Turtle Brooch (buy it now price, $990) Apfel was all about accessories. She is known to say, “My mother worshipped at the alter of the accessory and i got the bug.” Apfel’s collection includes everything from resin flea market bangles to rhinestone-encrusted works of art. She owns several pieces by Iradj Moini, who has designed jewelry for Oscar de la Renta, Carolina Herrera, Bill Blass, and Arnold Scassi.

3. Feather Jacket (buy it now price, $2,900) Apfel adored feather-adorned frocks, as seen in the Nina Ricci and Moschino ensemble pictured above, as well as a Jean-Louis Scherrer haute couture jacket of rooster, duck, and fowl feathers from the early 90’s, and a fuschia Andre Laug haute couture coat of Marabou feathers from the late 1970s.

4. Vintage 1980s Metallic Gold Sequin Butterfly Cape (buy it now price, $14.99) The “Circus” section of the show includes a brash multicolored striped sequin evening tunic from India. This cape would not be out of place alongside it.

5. Oscar de la Renta 1970s Ethnic Print Dress (buy it now price, $198) This is so thoroughly Iris Apfel, from the silhouette to the ethnic detailing, we wouldn’t be surprised in Apfel has one of these in her closet. This piece reflects the style of a late nineteenth century French vestment shown in the exhibit, as well as the early ‘80s evening dress from Lanvin haute couture by Jules-François Crahay.

6. Donald Brooks 1970s Wool Tweed Maxi Coat with Raccoon Trim (buy it now price, $795) Apfel owns many fur-trimmed pieces. The exhibit features a beautiful evening coat trimmed in sable by James Galanos and a Jean-Paul Gaultier jumpsuit with a faux fur trim.

7. Vintage Gray Curly Mongolian Lamb Fur Stroller Coat (buy it now price, $399) This jacket is so right now. It also echoes the Christian Dior haute couture Mongolian lamb jacket from the mid-80s that’s on display.

8. Vintage Patchwork Bolero Jacket (bid now, $5) The exhibit includes a 1988 Bill Blass “Matisse” silk jacket embellished with glass beads, sequins and metal that is quite similar to this quirky and very inexpensive find.

9. Nina Ricci Sunglasses (buy it now price, $99.50) Apfel has said about her signature oversize specs, “If I have to wear glasses, I might as well wear glasses.”

10. 1960s Sienna Plaid Wool Cape/Swing Coat with Hood (bid now, $10.49) This swingy plaid cape definitely embodies Apfel’s look, as reflected in an orange mohair cape by Normal Norell, c. 1959 and a plaid silk jacquard trench from Christian Dior haute couture by Gianfranco Ferre from the mid-90s.

**Images of Iris Aprfel and the exhibit provided by the Peabody Essex Museum.**

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