Iris loves Newport! After her visit last summer she decided she wanted to return for the Flower Show (where she made an appearance at a tea in her honor).
She also debuted some of her exclusive jewelry pieces for Atelier Swarovski at Rib & Rhein.
Iris Apfel indeed gives new meaning to ageless; her wit is razor sharp and her quotable bon mots a lesson in “living well is the best revenge.” Here she is!!
“I think jewelry can change an outfit more than anything else. Transformation, punch, individuality: One or all of the above are why you should wear jewelry.”
“My mother knew if you bought a couple of really good architectural outfits and put your money into accessories, you could create a million different looks. She taught that to me, which I think was invaluable.”
“If your hair is done properly and you’re wearing good shoes, you can get away with anything.”
“These are things I love, things I’ve worn. I get more compliments on accessories than anything else. I think they’re kind of like herbs and spices. They give zest and zing to an outfit.”
And, of course, we had to celebrate her 96th birthday (a bit early) since we started this ritual at Parterre in 2016. Then, her cake was decorated with bracelets; this year it was flowers, to recall the Newport Flower Show (and here I am, wearing one of her vintage necklaces that she donated to the Show).
“There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self-expression and, above all, attitude.”
Hear, Hear!!
Featured Image Credit, Nick Mele Photography.
Love it, Bettie, thank you for continually demonstrating how following our passions enrich & enliven our lives. Congratulations to Iris Apfel as she celebrates another year !
Best regards,
Helen
Thank you, Helen, we should all take our cues from Iris!
Iris lights up a room, doesn’t she? There will never be another like Iris.
Agreed, that is why I treasure every moment with her…
Iris Appel is what we all aspire to. Love her list for loveliness. My friends that saw 90 in the dust also can capture a room. One has the most elegant dinner parties with her lifetime collections of LOVELY things, flowers and butler forever in training. Unforgettable evenings.
Iris and Newport are an unbeatable combo…
Love this Bettie — combining cultural gems of Newport, inside and out– also appreciated the piece on Edith Wharton – brings history to now.
Love hearing from, my digital artwork star!!
I LOVE Iris! I just did a blog post on her as well. She is the one person in this world that I would love to meet. How fortunate for you!
Love her.
Great piece!