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Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel
With remarkable panache and discernment, Iris Apfel combines styles, colors, textures, and patterns without regard to period, provenance, or aesthetic conventions. She is a unique style icon.
Over ninety sumptuous color plates, photographed by Eric Boman, show off a selection of Apfel's extraordinary outfits on wittily posed mannequins, some sporting her trademark outsized spectacles. The originality of her style is typically revealed in her mixing of Dior haute couture with flea-market finds, Dolce & Gabbana lizard trousers with nineteenth-century ecclesiastical vestments, pink Lanvin worn with ropes of Navajo turquoise. Apfel's eclectic pieces might come from a Parisian couture house, an American thrift shop, or a North African souk, or they may have been made to her own design in a tiny studio.
Detailed captions describe every aspect of the outfits, including names and dates of designers, plus full information on fabrics and accessories. A selection of audacious accessories also comes under the spotlight: a giant necklace made of bear claws, a turn-of-the-century Indian horse ornament worn as a necklace, a parrot's-head brooch in colored glass and rhinestones.
The book includes an introduction by Harold Koda, director of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and an essay by Apfel herself, describing her lifelong love affair with style and illustrated with vintage photographs from her personal collection.
Over ninety sumptuous color plates, photographed by Eric Boman, show off a selection of Apfel's extraordinary outfits on wittily posed mannequins, some sporting her trademark outsized spectacles. The originality of her style is typically revealed in her mixing of Dior haute couture with flea-market finds, Dolce & Gabbana lizard trousers with nineteenth-century ecclesiastical vestments, pink Lanvin worn with ropes of Navajo turquoise. Apfel's eclectic pieces might come from a Parisian couture house, an American thrift shop, or a North African souk, or they may have been made to her own design in a tiny studio.
Detailed captions describe every aspect of the outfits, including names and dates of designers, plus full information on fabrics and accessories. A selection of audacious accessories also comes under the spotlight: a giant necklace made of bear claws, a turn-of-the-century Indian horse ornament worn as a necklace, a parrot's-head brooch in colored glass and rhinestones.
The book includes an introduction by Harold Koda, director of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and an essay by Apfel herself, describing her lifelong love affair with style and illustrated with vintage photographs from her personal collection.
160 pages, Hardcover
First published March 9, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 7, 2015
"Most people say take one off; I say add one on." -Iris Barrel Apfel
Imaginative, fun collaboration between designer/magpie/clotheshorse Apfel and fashion photographer/author Boman. Despite owning so many one-of-a-kind pieces, Apfel is unpretentious -- she calls herself "the world's oldest living teenager" and says she likes to wear jeans when she's working. But her jeans get exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As a textile designer, Apfel traveled the world for decades, snapping up evening clothes from couturiers and semiprecious stones from souks and plastic baubles from flea markets and mixing them to great effect. Never before have I longed to wear an antique horse decoration with crocodile trousers and wolfskin accessories. And the plaid raincoat with fur-cuffed sleeves -- worn as a dress! I swooned.
An interview with Apfel is here: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2...
And plugging her name into Google Images is so much fun.
Imaginative, fun collaboration between designer/magpie/clotheshorse Apfel and fashion photographer/author Boman. Despite owning so many one-of-a-kind pieces, Apfel is unpretentious -- she calls herself "the world's oldest living teenager" and says she likes to wear jeans when she's working. But her jeans get exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
As a textile designer, Apfel traveled the world for decades, snapping up evening clothes from couturiers and semiprecious stones from souks and plastic baubles from flea markets and mixing them to great effect. Never before have I longed to wear an antique horse decoration with crocodile trousers and wolfskin accessories. And the plaid raincoat with fur-cuffed sleeves -- worn as a dress! I swooned.
An interview with Apfel is here: http://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2...
And plugging her name into Google Images is so much fun.
April 11, 2007
Harold Koda and Eric Boman give us a glimpse into the world of collector Iris Apfel, a true American original. Apfel founded a fabric manufacturing company called Old World Weavers in the 50s with her husband Carl. They travelled the world, visiting artisans and exploring different cultures. Apfel's souvenirs were clothes, everything from Native American headdresses to indian saris and Lanvin couture. She is bold, irreverent, and has an unerring eye. I was struck by how much she reminded me of an idol of mine, Diana Vreeland. Both women began working in the 50s when it was considered more acceptable to stay home and raise children.
October 31, 2012
I have to say the best thing about this book, which celebrates Iris Apfel's incredible gift for putting an outfit together, is that she is now famous AND she is in her eighties! It is a testament to the cliche about wine [i am paraphrasing] -- the longer it ages the richer it becomes...
The photography and eye candy of each colorful outfit complete with her collection of acquired accessories can only make one delight in this woman's sense of style and her tongue in cheek humor! She will awaken you to clothing and styles from all around the globe and the way she shows them off is something special - a walking canvas with form and function.
The photography and eye candy of each colorful outfit complete with her collection of acquired accessories can only make one delight in this woman's sense of style and her tongue in cheek humor! She will awaken you to clothing and styles from all around the globe and the way she shows them off is something special - a walking canvas with form and function.
March 2, 2016
Lovely, lovely, lovely. A beautifully laid out pictorial review of famous fashion icon, Iris Apfel. Words do not begin to describe this indeed rare bird of fashion and her obsession with clothes and style she has had for most of her life. The short introduction by Iris herself is perfection as her humour is so appealing, although I could have done with a bit more as she is such an interesting character. I loved the photos - her outfits are to die for and reflect glamour and a style that is exceptional, unique which only a rare few could pull off. Her ability to put an outfit together is pure art - mesmerizing to say the least.
July 13, 2025
There were ensembles in this book that made me exclaim aloud in delight.
What an inspiration Iris Apfel was, and still is! So absolutely confident in her personal style. And she gets the most important thing about personal style-it is individual. But that said, I should wear a bangle or two, I think.
What an inspiration Iris Apfel was, and still is! So absolutely confident in her personal style. And she gets the most important thing about personal style-it is individual. But that said, I should wear a bangle or two, I think.
November 14, 2007
Fucking Fabulous! It changed my life and inspired the fashion explosion heard round the world!
December 11, 2007
A gorgeous complement to the Met's Costume Institute exhibit of Mrs. Iris Apfel's clothing, accessories, and irrepressible style.
June 5, 2010
super fab book of outfits and inspiration
April 15, 2011
she is incredible
if you love fashion and jewelry
read this book
if you love fashion and jewelry
read this book
January 2, 2013
So nice to see what I will be like as a senior. Iris is my style and creative icon. Great to read about how her style developed and see her cool outfits.
December 28, 2015
this lady inspires me with her fashion jewelry an her self confidence dare to be different in the fashion world
May 28, 2017
My only regret about this book is that there isn't more of it - more of Apfel's writing and more photos.
August 14, 2017
Let the fashon be in our mind and soul so we create our own charming attitude for living our lives! Iris is outrageous!
September 3, 2018
I loved the photo styling in this large-format book. Some of the commentary also appears in Apfel's recent autobiographical book, Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon, but the photography, and the personal shots of Apfel throughout her long life (she's 97!) are so interesting!
From this book, it's easy to see and understand what makes Apfel an icon of style, but it's also about her drive and determination to go her own way, and her resulting success. Very inspiring!
From this book, it's easy to see and understand what makes Apfel an icon of style, but it's also about her drive and determination to go her own way, and her resulting success. Very inspiring!
April 1, 2024
It was fun to read what Appel wrote about her own life and then pursue her fabulous wardrobe collection. It was her ability to combine pieces from different cultures and style to create her own that made her a fashion icon.
June 9, 2020
This was a gift from my daughter, who knows me well. I adore Iris Apfel's wonderful sense of style and appreciate having these incredible images to admire and be inspired by. Fabulous!
May 23, 2025
Beautiful book and a gem for those ones who are fans of Irish Apfel.
August 12, 2025
Now THAT was what I wanted from a book about Iris Apfel. I have feasted on textures and colors. I wish cultural appropriation had been part of the conversation, but it wasn't really part of the public discourse in 2008 in the way it is now, and maybe Iris wouldn't have been as willing to do the project if it had been critical of her. My feelings about her are a little complicated, but overall it was a treat to take a long look at some of her pieces.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews