Iris Apfel recently turned 102 years old, and fans couldn’t get enough of the famous designer as she celebrated in style.
Not everyone is lucky enough to live to be 102, let alone in good health and with a great sense of style, but Iris hasn’t let the fact that she is 102 (and some change) slow her down.
She posted a picture of herself raising a glass of red wine to the event and #NationalRedWineDay on Instagram a few days before the big day. She told her fans, “A red wine toast for me and you. “One more night until I’m 102!”
Iris was wearing a colourful cardigan with a stack of chunky plastic chains and a bunch of bold plastic bangles on her wrists. She was holding a wine glass in her perfectly manicured hands and, of course, her trademark large round glasses.
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In another picture, she posed with pink metallic helium balloons that spelt out her age and had the words “102 TODAY” written on them. “Who would have thought!!”
In that picture, she wore all pink: a flowing pink satin cape with matching pants, a floral-patterned jumper and tights, fuchsia fishnet loafers and more chunky bangles and necklaces in similar colours.
Her fans were quick to send her birthday wishes. One wrote, “Happy Birthday, Iris! You’re a beautiful, charming woman! You make us all want to do better.”
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“I first heard about you when you were 84,” said another. Since then, it’s been so fun to watch you grow up. Ms. Iris, you are a bright star and a source of inspiration. “May God bless you!”
A third person wrote, “Dear Mrs. Iris, you are an inspiration to many people around the world, including me. May you live 200 years full of joy, love, and good health. I hope that it will be possible for me to bow to you in person one day. “Hello and a big hug!”
Someone else just said, “Happy Birthday! Thanks for showing us all how to live our lives to the fullest!
Iris is known for her unique style, which shows that you don’t have to give up on expressing yourself just because you get older.
The bold, round glasses that have become her signature look have made the American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion star easy to spot.
She has more than 2.8 million fans on Instagram. Her bio says, “More is more and less is a bore.”
Yes, I agree.
She was born in 1921, so people call her the “oldest teenager in the world.” She is known for saying, “I don’t have any rules because I would only break them, so it’s a waste of time.”
During the Great Depression, when she was growing up, her mother taught her to love great accessories. For example, she told her to buy a single black dress so that she could wear it to any event, based on how she dressed it up or down with her accessories.
She got married to Carl Apfel in 1948. In 1950, she and her husband started their own cloth business, which they ran together until they retired in 1992.
They never had kids because they were always travelling to get things from all over the world, and Iris didn’t want their kids to be raised by nannies.
Iris was always a very successful businesswoman, but as she got older, she became more and more famous as a person. She even signed a modelling deal at the age of 97 because she was in so many ads.
Since 2015, when her husband of 67 years died just three days before his 101st birthday, she has been alone.
After Carl died, Iris made a line of jewellery with built-in technology that checks on the wearer’s health and calls an ambulance in case of an emergency. The jewellery is also stylish.
Iris is 102 years old, but she doesn’t want to quit. A week before her birthday, she launched a line of brooches, necklaces and earrings.
“I think retiring at any age is a fate worse than death,” she said when she turned 100. You don’t have to stop just because a number comes up.”
Iris, happy birthday! It looks like whatever she’s doing is working for her.