“Age is just a number,” you must have heard this line at least once in your life. Iris Apfel, a 100-year-old style icon, is a living example of how it’s never too late to set goals and ultimately achieve them. The strong desire to live your life on your own terms is what makes you young at heart. Iris Apfel and her signature oversized sunglasses reveal her strong sense of humor with a perfect blend of unconventional & eccentric style.
How Iris Apfel Chooses Her Sunglasses Frames?
Iris Apfel, fashion inspiration for many fashion designers, is known globally for her oversized black-rimmed glasses, and they have become her trademark. She once wrote on her Instagram post that “People usually recognize my oversized glasses before they even recognize me,”
The story of her signature glasses dates back long before she became a global fashion icon. She writes in her book Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon, “I’ve loved looking for junk at flea markets ever since I was a kid. And for some reason, unusual spectacle frames have always fascinated me.” She further says that whenever she found a unique frame, she would buy them and store them in an old shoebox. She always considered them as a great fashion accessory.
The day came when she actually needed those accessories, so she picked up the biggest pair she had and put the lenses on them. So, that’s how her signature oversized sunglasses were developed. She said in an interview, “If I’m going to have to wear glasses, I might as well have GLASSES,”
Apfel’s style is all about the perfect mix of flea markets and haute couture. She strongly believes that with the right accessories, you can elevate your overall outfit to the next level. In her own timeless words, “I adore accessories, and I think glasses can absolutely make an outfit.”
Iris Apfel Collaborated With Zenni Eyewear To Celebrate Her 100th Birthday
Apfel collaborated with Zenni eyewear for a 100-piece collection. The Iris Apfel Edit consists of five categories of eyewear styles – Live colorfully, bazaar treasures, signature style, structural design, and IRIS for kids.
She looked absolutely stunning and bold in her cat-eye sunglasses in red from her “Live Colorfully” eyewear style. Floral-print cat-eye glasses, her look For “Bazaar Treasure”, a unique style that reflects her love for the flea markets.
Oversized black glasses are her signature style, and through this eyewear style, she wants to convey the message to the world to have fun with your eyewear. And “Don’t be afraid to be bold.”
An Exhibition At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art In New York In 2005 Brought Her Immense Success
Harold Koda, the curator of the New York museum at the time, transported more than 300 items of clothing and several hundred accessories from her collection to the museum. The exhibition was a huge hit with over 150,000 visitors.
She slays fashion by wearing extravagant clothes, eye-catching makeup, and bright red, pink, or orange lipstick combined with her bold accessories. She was right when she said, “I don’t have any rules because I would only be breaking them, so it’s a waste of time.” She means it because she is the one who doesn’t follow the trend but instead creates one.
When we talk about her bold accessories, it means layers of oversized necklaces and multiple bracelets, teamed with her iconic oversized round sunglasses. Hence it made all sense when she said, “More is more and less is boring.”
In this fast-fashion world, where fashion trends come and disappear, Iris Apfel is the epitome of a rare and timeless style icon.