Her extravagant fashion, penchant for eye-catching jewelry and large, round glasses made her a true fashion icon. Now Iris Apfel has died at the age of 102. The businesswoman and interior designer died March 1 at her home in Palm Beach, Florida, a spokesperson confirmed to The New York Times.
Apfel’s death was also announced on her Instagram account. One photo reads: “Iris Barrel Apfel. August 29, 1921 – March 1, 2024”. Numerous people mourn the fashion icon in the comments. The day before, February 29th was celebrated here as her 102nd and a half birthday. She would have been 103 on August 29th.
Iris Apfel was born in 1921 in the New York borough of Queens and, after studying art history, worked as an editor for “Women’s Wear Daily” and as an interior designer. In 1948 she married Carl Apfel (1914-2015), with whom she was married until his death. He also turned 100. The two founded a textile company together and ran it until 1992.
However, she only really became known in old age – through numerous appearances on television and on the Internet as well as through the documentary “Iris” from 2014. Three million people followed her on Instagram. In 2019, at the age of 97, she signed a contract as a model with the IMG agency, where Kate Moss (50) and Gigi Hadid (28) are also under contract.
