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Jersey City is the last place you would expect to meet Iris Apfel. In 2004, I encountered Iris while attending an opening for a friend’s art studio… in Jersey City of all places. I had no idea who she was. An 82 year old at a party for 20 and 30 year olds is hard to miss, not to mention that she was dressed head to toe in authentic African dress, jewelry and a Zulu hat. I thought she must be Afrikaner. No, this was Iris just being Iris. Even before her show at the Costume Institute, she was a walking textile exhibit straight from a moment in history. During the party, Iris would dance right along with everyone else. Her hat made her look like a whirling dervish and I was a little nervous she might fall. When the music would stop, she would grab onto one of us and get her balance. Iris was tiny and a bit fragile even then, but her eccentric personality, curiosity and energy helped her fit right in.

Unfortunately, that was my only encounter with her. However, that memory would return to me many times over the years as she became internationally known for her many talents as a curator, collector, archivist, designer, and feminist. In a culture obsessed with youth, Iris defied all odds and became a world class celebrity in her senior years. She called herself a “Geriatric Starlet”. Rest in peace Iris. 102 years is an amazing run!