16 Sep Decorating with Iris
“There’s no how-to road map to style. It’s about self-expression and, above all, attitude.” Age-defying New York fashion icon Iris Apfel – who turned 100 in August – always has some sage words to say about personal style, and there is no better standard-bearer for Focus/21’s overarching theme of ‘creative confidence’.
Apfel’s professional background is fact not in fashion, but in interiors: she founded a textile company with her husband in 1950, and counted several White House presidents as clients. Now she’s come full circle, launching a fabric and trimmings collection for Fabricut, available from Christian Lee.
Called Maximal Couture and inspired by pieces from Apfel’s own textile archives, the collection reflects her passion for texture, pattern and colour – and ability to mix up all three with effortless ease to create a richly layered look. Bright suzanis, ikats and animal prints sit next to the flame-stitch-like ‘Resurgence’ and the blurred outlines of ‘Rose Floral’, with a colour palette of chartreuse, peacock blues and greens, and black and white.
The trimmings are a further expression of eclecticism and are especially textural, from the folky embroidered ‘Ehsani’ to ‘Poppy Field’, which is studded with tiny metal flowers.