American fashion icon Iris Apfel dies at 102

Gray hair, big horn-rimmed glasses, and bright red lips... American interior designer and fashion icon Iris Apfel died on Friday. She was 102 years old.

The New York Times and other outlets reported that Apfel, a New York socialite, died at her home in Palm Beach, Florida. Apfel was widely known for her unique presentation on the world of fashion, which included brightly colored and stylized clothing and bold accessories around her neck and arms.

Born in New York City in 1921, Ms. Apfel worked as an interior designer before founding Old World Weavers with her husband, Karl Apfel, in the 1950s.

It was not until she was over 80 that she became a fashion icon, modeling for advertisements and fashion magazines. Mattel even created a Barbie doll modeled after her in 2017. In 2019, at the age of 97, he signed a contract with IMG, the world's largest modeling agency.

On her Instagram account, which has more than three million followers, Apfel describes herself as "the world's oldest teenager." She also shares her view of fashion, saying, "More is more & less is a bore.”


Hyoun-Soo Kim kimhs@donga.com