“I like to improvise.”

American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion designer

Iris Apfel was an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion designer. Born in 1921 and active for much of the 20th century, she became widely known for her bold personal style, outspoken manner, and oversized eyeglasses. She worked in textiles with her husband, Carl, from 1950 to 1992, including a White House contract that covered nine presidencies. In retirement, she won wider notice through a 2005 Costume Institute exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, built around her costume jewelry and the way she dressed it on mannequins. She later became a fashion icon, was the subject of the 2014 documentary Iris, and signed with IMG in 2019 at age 97.