Iris Apfel Clothing Designer Iris

Iris Apfel

Clothing designer Iris Apfel may be in her 80s, but her clothing is just as much for today's women as it would be in the past...maybe, even more so. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Rara Avis (meaning rare bird): The Iris Apfel Dress and Accessory Collection September 13, 2005 - January 22, 2006 pays homage to the fashions, textiles, and interior designs of this "head-of-her-times" designer.

Iris Barrel Apfel's clothing are designed eclectically and far from the ordinary due to the addition of thrift shop, second-hand and antique-store accoutrements to the top designers' fashions. Her link of bargain basement with haute couture is created with amazing flair yet distinguished taste. She interweaves an array of hues, textures and patterns without any allegiance to era, origin, or convention, but everything works together as if it was completely made to do so. For nearly 50 years, she has demonstrated a personal mode that is both frolicsome and just the right degree of eccentric.

Her creativity is usually seen in combinations of high and low fashions. Actually, she introduced the concept of "high/low" dressing or pairing high-end designer pieces with generic thrift-store finds in the 1950s, getting a jump on one of the defining characteristics of 21st century style. There are Dior styles adorned with flea market finds as well as 19th-century ecclesiastical vestments with Dolce & Gabbana lizard trousers. Ironically, Apfel's mix of vintage and modern can blend with period pieces or the newest runway releases.

This museum exhibition, established and run by the Costume Institute, includes 80 completely accessorized ensembles from the 1950s to the present displayed as they were originally worn and styled by Apfel.

Some of the unique pieces include upholstery fabric from 1965 by Old World Weavers (an international textile manufacturing company that she founded with her husband, Carl), with an orange and brown tiger-striped handwoven silk face on linen warp -- Boots as well as coat and bag (on left). House of Lanvin gown, circa 1985, gold, brown and gray silk taffeta; Bhutan arm bracelet, late 19th century, silver and amber; Tibet cuff bracelet with late 19th century, silver, amber, coral and turquoise; and Tibet necklaces, early 20th century, silver, amber, coral and turquoise (on right). Geoffrey Beene jumpsuit, circa 1982 in orange wool; Native American brooch, 1980s, silver and turquoise; Native American belt, 1980s, silver and turquoise; Italian cuffs, 1970s, silver and ceramic (above).

Apfel says her highly original style is due to her constant desire to take a wonderful designer piece and build on it to make it fun and special. "One can change the entire look of an outfit by substituting one accessory for another. I love objects from different worlds, different eras, combined my way. Never uptight, achieving - hopefully - a kind of throwaway chic," she states (Mehl). One such totally eclectic and wild and frivolous outfit consisted of embroidered silk wedding skirt with an English cashmere sweater and Italian handmade glove-leather boots. Since she has been shopping by herself before even becoming a teenager, she may add a pin from decades ago to a dress of present-day vintage.

These above mentioned outfits are all put together through her creation. Her company of Old World Weavers were actual clothes actually designed and created by her and Carl. She explains about these works of art: "I guess I've been a 'closet designer' who could never sew or cut. But I had some ideas and I could sketch. God knows I had the fabric and the trimmings. It isn't easy to design an outfit, and trying my hand at it gave me an everlasting respect for the artistry and craftsmanship of the true couturier" (Mehl)