Iris Apfel has a new book — and it’s not your average coffee-table read.
In “Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon,” which hits stores tomorrow, Apfel presents a visually arresting tome with musings, anecdotes and maxims straight from the eccentric eye of the 96-year-old luminary. It pairs her unapologetic writing with never-before-seen personal photographs and novelties that are cleverly illustrated in a color-filled collection.
As expected from the self-proclaimed “geriatric starlet,” the book is a candid retelling of her wildly accomplished life.
“Gettin’ old ain’t for sissies,” reads an excerpt from a chapter appropriately titled “How to Live to Be 200.” “You start falling apart, but you just have to buck up and paste yourself together. You may not like getting older, but what’s the alternative? You’re here — embrace it. I say put your experience to work, to give something back to other people.”
Apfel, who won FN’s Icon of the Year Award in 2016, sat down at the FN photo studio for her cover shoot and revealed the unexpected secret to her business ventures.
“Everything with me just happens; I’ve never had a plan for anything,” she confessed. “I get an idea, and then I try it. I don’t worry about what’s going to happen, because if it’s not so good, the fashion police are not going to take me away. And if they do, it might be a blessing for everyone.”
Widely recognized in the fields of fashion, textiles and interior design, Apfel also possesses a joie de vivre along with her natural talent and penchant for the whimsical that led her to become a modern-day style icon.
In a 2016 interview with FN, HSN’s CEO Mindy Grossman shared the fashionphile’s design process. (Grossman has collaborated with Apfel on several projects, including an exclusive holiday gift and home collection called Rara Avis by Iris Apfel.)
“Iris knows what she wants, has a keen eye and generates an incredible flow of ideas,” she said. “But she also believes that everything has to have meaning, a reference point and possess utmost style and taste. Just don’t try to convince her to do anything she doesn’t truly love.”
It’s not the first time the style maverick has released a book in her likeness; her chic “Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel” hardback was published in 2007 to industry acclaim.
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