Before She Was a Fashion Icon, Iris Apfel Was an Interior Design Star

Iris Apfel, who passed away on March 1 at the age of 102, was not only a centenarian style icon but also a significant trendsetter in the realm of decor long before her global celebrity status. Her decorating career began in the 1940s, and she quickly became a sought-after designer for prominent clients such as Greta Garbo, Estée Lauder, Faye Dunaway, and Joan Rivers. Apfel, alongside her late husband Carl, established Old World Weavers, a luxury fabric company. This company was instrumental in providing textiles to the White House for nine presidential administrations, from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton, showcasing the couple's profound impact on American interior design. Apfel held the belief that "Fashion and interior design are one and the same," a philosophy that underpinned her distinctive approach to both. Born in Queens in 1921, she developed an early passion for antiques and decorating, starting her extensive jewelry collection as a child by exploring antique shops in Greenwich Village. A pivotal moment in her early life was meeting the legendary decorator Elsie de Wolfe, an encounter that left a lasting impression on the young Apfel. After marrying Carl in 1948, the couple frequently traveled overseas to acquire unique furniture and fabrics for her design projects, initially sourcing rare antique fabrics from European flea markets. Recognizing a market for reproductions of historical designs, the Apfels founded Old World Weavers in 1950. In an era when modern aesthetics dominated New York's design scene, they carved a unique niche by offering richly traditional, "old-world" textiles. Their collection featured opulent silk brocades, lampas, geometric motifs, suzani and ikat patterns, and Japanesque styles, setting them apart from contemporary trends. Industry experts like Ann Pyne, president of McMillen Inc., noted that Old World Weavers possessed luxurious fabrics unmatched by competitors, especially their distinctive Gilded Age designs. A significant achievement for Old World Weavers was the immense popularity of their "Tiger" silk velvet in the 1960s—a bold, black-and-gold, 54-inch-wide pattern handwoven in Venice. Iris Apfel later repurposed this iconic fabric into a coat for the Peabody Essex Museum, which now houses a permanent collection of over 1,000 pieces of clothing and accessories belonging to her and her husband. Other textiles from Old World Weavers, including a gold silk damask, were used to drape the windows in the White House's East Room, underscoring their national significance. Old World Weavers was acquired by Stark in 1992 and now operates under the Scalamandré textile group. Ashley Stark, current creative director at Stark, interned with the Apfels, learning invaluable lessons about fearlessness and self-trust in design. Lorraine Lang, executive vice president of design for Scalamandré and Old World Weavers, recounted Apfel’s famous mantra: "more is more and less is a bore." This philosophy guided Apfel’s preference for unusual, bold, and smile-inducing patterns, shunning anything she considered boring. Iris Apfel's global fame escalated in 2005 when she became the subject of the "Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Apfel Collection" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute. This exhibition showcased her eclectic wardrobe, a high-low blend of designer pieces and plastic bangles. Already in her 80s, Apfel embraced her new role as an "accidental icon," starring in a 2014 documentary, acquiring a significant social media following, and even having a Barbie doll created in her likeness. Despite her newfound celebrity in fashion, her dedication to decor remained steadfast. She maintained homes in New York City and Palm Beach and launched various collections, including rugs for Ruggable and a "Maximal Couture" fabric line for Fabricut. Her homes were renowned for their maximalist aesthetic, characterized by "pattern on pattern on pattern," especially during Christmas, when every inch was adorned with ornaments and figurines. In 2017, at 96, Apfel introduced her first furniture line for HSN with Cloth & Company, a circus-themed collection featuring bold stripes and floral patterns with elephants and circus tents. She articulated her belief that "Decorating your home is a way to express your personal style." Despite her surprise at the extent of her later-life fame, she lived consistently by her unique vision, remaining a free spirit who profoundly influenced both fashion and interior design. #IrisApfel #InteriorDesign #FashionIcon #OldWorldWeavers #TextileDesign #DecorTrendsetter #MaximalistStyle #DesignPhilosophy #HomeDecor #IrisApfel #InteriorDesign #FashionIcon #OldWorldWeavers #TextileDesign #DecorTrendsetter #MaximalistStyle #DesignPhilosophy #HomeDecor