"Self-expression is painful" and the legacy of Iris Apfel

 

Iris Apfel would have been 103 years old today. Her ideas on fashion are much deeper than clothing and accessories. She, like me, sees fashion as a cultural necessity and an act of women's liberation. I've also read that while she likes to be controversial and an exhibitionist, she never wanted to isolate herself from others or a community. 

In 2005, the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art showcased her life's work in the exhibition "Rare Bird: The Irreverent Iris Apfel." This was the museum's first "living person" exhibit focused on someone other than a designer. The curator writes: 

"With remarkable panache and discernment, she combines colours, textures, and patterns without regard to period, provenance and ultimately, aesthetic conventions...The exhibition highlights individual accessories ranging from a Gripoix brooch to a..Mexican turqoise and hammered-silver belt."

An image from the Met exhibition. Apfel's upholstery fabric by Old World Weavers and an orange and brown tiger-stripe handwoven silkface on linen warp. c.a 1965

These are some of my favourite Apfel quotes, which sum up my love for her better than my own words:

1. Self exploration is very painful, but unless you do that, you will never know who you are and who you want to be.

2.  I don't dress to be stared at, I dress for myself.

3. I don't see anything wring with a wrinkle. It's a kind of badge of honour.

4. Clothes are not frippery. Properly done they can be an art form.

5. Great personal style is an extreme curiosity about yourself.