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I keep seeing Iris Apfel here and there in the media.
She is definitely worthy of the coverage.
I think she's in her late eighties or early nineties.
Still out there, being relevant.
I remember seeing her at the NY Gift Show a few years ago.
Our booth was on the Pier.
( I loved being able to walk to the far side of the building
and seeing the aircraft carrier, Intrepid, out the window.)
The Intrepid is huge and awe inspiring.
Kind of like Iris, but she's not huge.
Back to the Gift Show.
Iris and her husband stopped at the booth across from us.
Chris sells one of a kind vintage Suzani rugs. Anthropologie, ABC
Home and Jonathan Adler vie for her time and rugs.
Iris strolled by, stopped to inspect the goods and decided
she wanted one particular Suzani.
She wanted to have it made into a shawl.
I love love that kind of thinking outside of the box. Taking the joy in her
individuality and style. We tend to choose the safety of Pottery Barn decor
and Gap dressing. It all matches and you don't have to think much.
Your friends will approve because they've seen it before
and it's safely acceptable.
The same is true of art and painting. It's easy and profitable to paint images
that we see everywhere. Put a bird on it, as Carrie and Fred say.
The true self expression is in finding your own "Suzani".
Taking an idea that charms and appeals to you and running free with it.
It takes courage.
Iris Apfel has had her own show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's
Fashion Institute.Pretty cool.
That kind of individual style inspires me to try
and follow my own path and passion.
Think about it.
