Iris Apfel
A life Celebrated
"As long as you’re true to yourself, you’ll look wonderful"
Iris Apfel’s cheerful, no-nonsense approach to ageing is typical of her optimistic outlook on life. When asked to name her greatest achievement, she says simply: “I’m most proud of being alive and being able to do interesting and creative work while helping people.” Is there anything she regrets, or wishes she had known earlier? “Nothing!” she answers firmly. “I don’t live backwards or forwards; I live in the now.” And now, it seems, is very much Iris Apfel’s time. “If somebody told me 10 years ago I’d be doing this, I would have laughed and said, 'You’re nuts!'” says Iris Apfel, when we meet on the set of Bazaar’s photo-shoot at the Colony Hotel in Palm Beach, Florida. The international style icon, who celebrated her 100th birthday last August, is a fervent believer in the power of serendipity. “I don’t have plans; I make it a point. I’ve never had a business plan […] Things just happen, and I try to take advantage of them if I think they’re worthwhile. If something comes along and I like it, I’ll do it.” Read on Bazaar