The more is more spirit of the exuberant Iris Apfel is coming to Christie’s at the end of this month. An interior designer, textile entrepreneur and fashion icon, Iris Apfel’s irreverent, bold, daring style was a beacon for not just maximalists but all those who crave the joyful expression of individuality. Her fearless fashion choices made her a household name with the 2005 Metropolitan Museum’s Costume Institute exhibit Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Barrel Apfel Collection (the first featuring a living person who wasn’t a fashion designer) and a style icon well into her 90s when she was the star of Albert Maysels’ documentary Iris, modeled for Vogue and IMG and had a Barbie created in her name.

And now you can own a piece of Iris’ incredible legacy. Christie’s online sale Unapologetically Iris features more than 200 items from her collection. Apfel’s signature style celebrated an incomparable sense of self-expression. She believed it was the only way to tell your own story, as she told the New York Times in 2011 “When you don’t dress like everyone else, you don’t have to think like everyone else.” The sale includes fashion,

 

 

jewelry and accessories,

 

as well as art and furniture from her New York and Palm Beach homes. She wasn’t just a fashion icon but also founded in 1950 the well respected luxury textile brand Old World Weavers (now part of Scalamandre) with her husband Carl Apfel.

 

 

 

For those interested in the meaning and history of Singerie – read my piece here

As Christie’s espouses “Above all, Apfel celebrated creativity, artistry and self-expression. She had a universal quality that inspired countless people around the world and across generations. She was a force who will be remembered not only for her exuberant authenticity but for making fashion fun, delighting in dressing and never, ever taking herself too seriously.”

Happy shopping!