Iris Apfel: Rare Bird of Fashion

Just picked up my ticket for Rare Bird of Fashion: the Irreverent Iris Apfel, a special exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum celebrating the personal collection of a legendary tastemaker and style icon.

Eighty-eight year old Iris Barrel Apfel is known for her "eclectic mixing of haute couture with costume jewelry and exotic baubles." She is also credited with having started the denim jean craze among women, back in the 1940s.

A New York society figure and co-founder of textile design company Old World Weavers, she has traveled the world in search of "all things wearable and wonderful," building her business and inspiring fashion designers like Jason Wu and Issac Mizrahi (great video of him with her on the PEM site, by the way). She's been featured in Coach ads and atop Vanity Vair's international best-dressed list.

As a special bonus to the exhibit featuring over 80 of Apfel's ensembles, the museum will hold a screening of The Latest Fashion Trends from Around the World, Fashion Group International's Spring/Summer 2010 Trends report which includes photos, video clips and commentary on the latest runway shows from around the world. The special screening on Saturday, January 23rd, will also include a discussion of how to adopt the runway looks into your wardrobe.

I'll leave you with these Elements of Style, according to Iris Apfel:

     1. Never take yourself or an outfit too seriously.

     2. Visit the animal kingdom.

     3. Consider the clergy.

     4. Travel widely.

     5. Go high and low.

     6. Don’t fret about your age.

    7. Don’t be afraid to stop traffic.

(Click to watch video)

And don't forget to check out the museum's fun interactive exhibit where you can style runway models with Apfel's clothing, paper-doll style.