With true originality becoming an increasingly precious commodity in the fashion world, Iris Apfel soldiers on, sharing her wit and wisdom about the subject of style and inspiring multi-generational fashion enthusiasts to think and dress for themselves. The New York native, a former textiles manufacturer and interior designer, was catapulted into the pop culture conscious in 2005 when the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art staged an exhibition that paid homage to her personal style and striking wardrobe. Two years ago, Apfel was celebrated once again in Iris, a much-lauded documentary about her irreverent spirit. Having worked as a model for fashion brands later in life (including the fall 2016 campaign for Aigner leather goods), Apfel is currently a brand ambassador for Swarovski and is helping to promote its new holiday collection at Holt Renfrew's Toronto Bloor Street store on Nov. 9. I spoke with Apfel recently, after she'd returned from a jaunt to Puerto Rico, about her style philosophy, why technology has been terrible for fashion, and how taking the art of dressing too seriously is a big mistake.
You grew up in an age that was filled with fashion rules but you always marched to the beat of your own drum. What was it that inspired you to break rules and be true to yourself?
I don't set out to break rules. I just don't pay any attention to them. I'm not a rebel. I just don't want to be put in a box and told what to do. I have my own life to live and I want to live it the way I want to live it. And as long as I don't offend anybody or do anything criminal… I mean there are people who set out to be different. I never set out to be different. I'm just me.
Was there a point that you realized that you were going to be much more of an original than most people?
I never thought about it. I never thought about being original. I'm not a planner. I've never had a business plan. When I was young, I never said, "I have to be this, I'm going to do that. Everything just kind of happened to me."
I remember talking to you a few years ago and you were lamenting the fact that there was so much sameness in fashion, that so few designers were really giving the world things that were new and exciting. How do you feel about the fashion landscape at this particular point?
Oh, there's no question there's a lack of creativity and originality, whether it's because people are frightened because of the economy… But it seems to me we're at the point where people don't want to buy. There's nothing really to tempt you when you go to shops anymore. I'm not the best one to speak to that because I don't really need too much. I've got so much stuff, I'm giving it away. But if I saw something that really tickled me, I would be delighted to buy it. But I'm speaking through the mouth of friends of mine who have plenty of money and plenty of time and they love to go shopping. But always they come home and they're really depressed. They say, "How many blazers do you need? How many pairs of jeans do you need? Everything's the same old, same old, same old!"
When it comes to jewellery, some say less is more, some say you can never have enough. What is your philosophy?
If you know how to pile it on, I think it's wonderful. But you have to learn how to do it and work at it. Some people pile it on and look like a frenzied Christmas tree. I happen to like a lot of stuff, but I am not a dictatorial person – I don't come out and say you must wear this, or these are the 10 things you have to have. These kinds of statements make me crazy because everybody is different or should be different. I think all this sameness is terrible. I don't know why it's so, especially in this day and age with younger people, when there's so much fast fashion, which is so inexpensive and they have the opportunity to experiment and try different things. Some people look marvelous when they're minimal. And some people look wonderful when they're maximized. It's a matter of finding your own comfort and style level and working accordingly and not trying to look like somebody else. I think to slavishly try to copy, as these kids do with all these silly celebrities… well, they look funny.
The jewellery label’s new holiday collection includes the appropriately maximal ribbon bracelet by designer Rosie Assoulin (from top), the Kalix double ring and the Nile cuff from its Atelier range.
How good or bad do you think this age of technology, particularly Instagram, has been for fashion, or for society in general?
I think it's been terrible. I know it's a very good selling tool and commercially it's obviously viable. But I don't subscribe to that kind of thing. I think everybody should spend the time they waste looking at all the stuff trying to learn who they are and experiment with themselves and try to be individuals, instead of being a bunch of lemmings.
As we grow older and accumulate so many different things, we turn the mixing of these pieces into a kind of sartorial art. Maybe we don't really need that much anymore. How many pieces of clothing does one really need?
Well, fashion is not about needing things. Really you don't need very much at all to get by. It's about wanting to have it, and it's the fun of it, and it's like a game. I don't think it has to do with need at all. If it was about need, my God! I think 90 per cent of the stores in the world would close.
For so long, we were taught that you have to keep your age in mind and dress appropriately. These things were just killing our spirits in many ways.
You said the magic word: appropriate. This is the problem. That's a dirty word today. Nobody knows what's appropriate or wants to use appropriate anymore. The trouble is people don't think for themselves or realize that you can be older and you don't have to look like you're wearing a widow's weed. But you still have to be appropriate. You see some elderly ladies with mini skirts, or long hair, or showing off too much skin. These are things that older women should not do. But aside from that, they don't have to look like they're old fuddy-duddies. If you know yourself then you know what you can do. I don't know why people always want to look like somebody else. They don't want to look like themselves.
What about maintaining a sense of whimsy? How important is it to find humour in fashion and dressing up?
I think it's important to find humour in everything because I think if you don't have a sense of humor about living, you might as well be dead. I think taking yourself or your clothes too seriously is just terrible and that's a big mistake. There are a lot of well-dressed women who are very uptight about the way they dress and they take every button as a serious matter. That's ridiculous. No matter how well dressed you are, if you're not relaxed, then you don't look relaxed and you're not going to look well. I always say if being well dressed or being fashionable makes you uptight and uncomfortable, it's much better to be happy than well dressed.
You've inspired multi-generations of people to think for themselves. Does it surprise you that this attention has come to you at this stage in your life?
I think it's funny. I don't pay much attention to it because I'm no different than I was 70 years ago. I think it's wonderful if I can help people and I know I have, because people have written to me, and called me, and spoken to me, and jumped all over me. I'm happy if I can release people from staying in the box. It's a big world out there and there are so many wonderful things to explore. God gave you the gift of curiosity. You should use it.
This interview has been condensed and edited.