Photo: MiamiFilmFestival / CC BY-SA 2.0 (source: Wikimedia Commons)
Iris Apfel, born on August 29, 1921 in Queens, New York, United States, was an interior designer, businessperson and model. Iris Apfel died on March 1, 2024 at the age of 102. Education on record includes Putney High School and University of Wisconsin–Madison.
My Take
What I admire most about Iris Apfel is that she turned personal taste into a lifelong manifesto. Long before "more is more" became a slogan, she was layering bangles and parading those enormous round glasses with total conviction. People forget she was also a shrewd businesswoman, supplying textiles to the White House across nine presidencies. To me she proved that style is a form of intelligence and courage, not vanity. Staying creatively fearless past one hundred is its own masterpiece. Whenever I think aging means shrinking, Apfel is the cheerful, defiant rebuttal I keep returning to.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Iris Apfel
- Name (Japanese)
- アイリス・アプフェル
- Reading
- あいりす・あぷふぇる
- Born
- August 29, 1921 – March 1, 2024
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Virgo / Rooster
- Origin
- Queens, New York, United States
- Occupation
- interior designer / businessperson / model / designer / entrepreneur
2. Background
- High school
- Putney High School
- University
- University of Wisconsin–Madison
3. Links
4. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-21
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.
Frequently asked questions
When was Iris Apfel born?
Born August 29, 1921.
When did Iris Apfel die?
Died March 1, 2024, aged 102.
Where was Iris Apfel from?
Iris Apfel was from Queens, New York, United States.
What did Iris Apfel do?
Iris Apfel worked as interior designer, businessperson, model, designer, entrepreneur.
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