94-year-old old lady who works as a model

Today, August 29, marks the 94th anniversary of an amazing woman whose vast wardrobe can serve as an example of the fashion history of the 20th century.

Iris Barrel Apfel definitely knows how to surprise and impress with her appearance. She doesn't follow trends, she creates them herself. Her eclectic style lies in an unusual combination of high-end, budget and vintage elements. Iris has become famous for her unusual taste, love for rare collectibles, and shooting for brands such as Kate Spade, Alexis Bittar (accessories) and MAC (cosmetics).

Moving through life at her own pace, the former interior designer has become, as she puts it, "a 94-year-old cover girl." Earlier this year, a documentary called "Iris" was released in which fans can see the real woman behind those big round glasses.

(Total 14 photos)

Source: businessinsider.com

1. Apfel was born in the New York area of Queens on August 29, 1921 in the family of Samuel Burrell and a Jewish emigrant from Russia, Sadie. Her mother was a lawyer and her father was a fashion boutique owner. As a child, little Iris loved decorating shop windows and going to the design studio with her father.

2. Apfel studied fine arts at Wisconsin and New York Universities. After working as a correspondent for Women's Wear Daily, she retrained as an interior designer and later opened her own business, decorating and importing textiles.

3. She married Karl Apfel (he recently turned 100) in 1948 and founded Old World Weavers, her own design firm that finds and creates unique textiles.

4. The most interesting thing is that the Apfel company was responsible for decorating the White House during the reign of several presidents. In the film, Carl let it slip that Jackie Kennedy was not easy to work with.

5. Traveling the world during numerous business trips, Apfel continued to replenish her wardrobe with the most unusual things.

6. Always swimming against the current, she loves to pair cheap thrift finds with designer pieces. Her style can be summed up in one word: fearless.

7. “I don’t care if I was invited to a party or if I throw a party myself - the main thing is to dress for the party,” Apfel admits in the film. She considers creating a style and choosing an outfit a creative activity. "I love to improvise like I'm playing jazz."

8. Apfel has always surrounded herself with creative people, from Duke Ellington to famed New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham (pictured in blue).

9. She began her rise to fame in 2005, when the Metropolitan Museum of Art organized an exhibition of her huge wardrobe called "Rare Bird".

10. The exhibition was shown on all channels, and soon Apfel had already created her first clothing line with HSN under the same name "Rare Bird". In 2012, she signed an agreement with the cosmetics company MAC, and this spring she became the face of the spring campaign of the Kate Spade brand.

11. A film about her life was shot by director Albert Maysles, known for his work on the films "Give Me Shelter" and "Grey Gardens".

12. Sadly, Albert Maysles passed away on March 5, 2015. Iris was his last film.

13. In one of the film's most "scandalous" scenes, Iris tells Kanye West at Fashion Week that he's a "cute dude." And the famous rapper is embarrassed.

14. Apfel herself speaks of the film as follows: “I liked it. It's strange to look at yourself. But people seem to have reacted, so this is… serious. I would never have thought that something like this would happen in my life. Never planned anything like this. I've become a 94-year-old cover girl, and that's not easy."