IRIS – portrait of a lady with style……

  PRESENTING  WORlDWIDE COLLECTIONS FOR ARMCHAIR ENJOYMENT.

Being ageist is something most of us frown upon but pointing out that Iris Apfel subject to this interesting docufilm about her life, is now 94 and her husband Carl is 100 does seem reasonable.

One of Iris’s trademarks is her goggle – like glasses – huge cylindrical frames in shiny black the size of saucers together with her short spiky lilac-rinsed white hair. She has an incredibly straight back and is tall and willowy – the perfect shape of a mannequin – just like a model.

Iris looks back at the time she was maturing to remember a woman who said to her she didn’t have beauty but she had “style”. She certainly does have it now. It seems that maybe because of that comment to her made Iris channel her life into being one of the most stylish women in America and a massive collector of clothes including couture, and dresses and other items from all around the globe. Her collection and the wearing of accessories is jaw dropping. Rather than wear one necklace or bracelet at a time Iris will wear a selection, sometimes giving the impression she is almost being choked sporting huge swathes of beads of various colours and shapes.

Together with her husband, Iris has not only been in the fashion world but also supremely successful in being an interior designer for some of the biggest names in the world – and The White House is on her list of achievements. She does however make it clear in the film that talking about very big customers is not really protocol so she brushes this aside though with an air of pride and gravitas. From time to time Iris and her husband sell off some of the artefacts they have collected on world trips, kept in a huge warehouse, saying they need the money. They own at least three properties in the USA and each is filled brimful of collected memorabilia as well as hundreds of outfits and items of clothing together with jewellery – mainly costume and tremendously eye-catching pieces.

In one of their apartments, they have a musical christmas train and track and a giant bunny who will bend and flop his ears up and down at the touch of a button together with a fun bar to keep their drinks. If you want a change from action and car chases have an adventure with this memorable film about Iris, husband and their eye popping trappings. One more thing – Iris said she didn’t have children as she felt abandoned when her mother went back to work when Iris was ten and she had a horrible time with her nanny and never wanted the same experience repeated on anyone else. Though she hides a little bit of sadness what Iris mainly exudes is charm, fun and of course Style. Enjoy.

Penny Nair Price