Travelling to New York City is always magical for me. On this particular visit, who would have thought that I would meet fashion icon Iris Apfel: not in some cosy restaurant but in her beautiful apartment on Park Avenue!
Many thoughts were running through my mind as I was walking from her apartment lobby up to the foyer just outside her door: Was I dressed well enough? Would she allow me to do a quick interview and would I be able to see her wardrobe collection of accessories? Amazingly, I got far more than what I had hoped for. Was it my big spectacles which matched hers that did the trick?
At 97, Apfel was recently signed up by IMG, one of the biggest talent agencies in the world, making her their oldest living talent. It looks like there’s no stopping this woman: she is still doing pictorials for magazines, collaborations, and still travels a lot.
I first learned about Apfel when she did an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, which later became the most celebrated event post-Diana Vreeland. It catapulted her into fashion stardom. I was mesmerised by her story and her rise as a fashion icon, which didn’t happen until she was in her 80s. I browsed through the internet to know more about her and religiously followed her on Instagram. Wow! I thought having an Instagram at that age was cool! People in the fashion industry know who Iris Apfel is. Aside from being known for her oversized glasses, she was also known for her collaborations with brands like MAC, Bergdorf Goodman, and Swarovski, to name a few. She also had an accessory line that showed her love for big conversation pieces. Perhaps this is the reason why award-winning Filipino accesory designer Ann Ong’s pieces appealed to her.
The opportunity to meet her came up when Ong travelled with me to New York. She had some accessories with her that Apfel ordered at one of her trade shows.
Entering Apfel’s apartment is like stepping into her personal treasure trove filled with vintage accessories hanging from a lampshade, her collection of porcelain animal figurines, and her memorable photos with her late husband, businessman Carl Apfel. It is a well-curated mix of old and new; each piece has a story to tell. After all she was a decorator before she became a fashion icon.
I became more drawn to her after that face-to-face encounter, not because of her stature nor her accomplishments, but because of her character and grace. From the moment we entered her apartment (the fashion icon opened the door herself—not her assistant, nor anyone else) until the time we left (she personally brought us to the door and said a warm goodbye with the promise to see each other again) I saw a real, honest-to-goodness person in her. There was nothing of a put-on persona. Her exceptional character struck me more than her accessories.
Owning one of her vintage accessories would be delightful but for now I am content to have a copy of her recent published book Accidental Icon: Musings of a Geriatric Starlet. Here are some of my favourite excerpts from Apfel’s book:
ON STAYING YOUNG
“When you get older, as I often paraphrase an old family friend, if you have two of anything, chances are one of them is going to hurt when you get up in the morning.
But you have to get up and move beyond the pain. If you want to stay young, you have to think young. Having a sense of wonder, a sense of humour, and a sense of curiosity—these are my tonic. They keep you young, childlike, open to new people and things, ready for another adventure. I never want to be an old fuddy-duddy; I hold the self-proclaimed record for being the World’s Oldest Living Teenager and I intend to keep it that way.”
