Iris is a documentary by Albert Maysles about acclaimed fashion and design icon Iris Apfel. Iris has played many roles in NYC culture. She first made her mark as an interior designer. Then, she began designing woven fabrics. All of this time, she traveled the world, collecting amazing fashion and accessories that she loaned to museums for displays. She made a name for herself as a fashion icon when the Metropolitan Museum of Art curated a collection of her fashion artifacts and styling due to a budget shortfall. A big exhibit fell through and Iris collaborated with The Costume Institute to create the acclaimed touring exhibition "Rara Avis: The Irreverent Iris Apfel." Iris was brought in to actually style mannequins with her accessories and clothing from around the world.
Iris is an utterly charming documentary about Apfel and her husband Carl's impact on the world of fashion. They've worked together throughout their entire marriage to create, curate, and preserve beautiful things from around the world. The "Rara Avis" exhibition just made it possible for Iris to make accessory design her career.
Iris and Carl have one of the most beautiful and loving relationships I've ever seen captured in a documentary. The film might be about Iris' impact on fashion, but the real heart of the film is their marriage. These two are still madly in love with each other decades into marriage. They do everything together. All of their friends describe them as children in the most flattering way possible. They share the same wild taste in fashion, toys, and home furnishings. That bond helped bolster Iris into the icon she is today.
What Iris does with accessories seems simple until you see her in action. She says herself that it's all gut instinct. To watch her layer bangle bracelets or architectural necklaces is to watch a master work on a canvas. Iris takes the most rare handcrafted items from around the world, combines them with costume jewelry from the flea market, and creates one of a kind feats of fashion and engineering. It's remarkable.
The most telling element of Iris is how much everyone she meets adores her. Yes, major fashion designers from J.Crew might approach her based on her reputation and know-how, but they quickly become her friends and allies. Iris believes in the value of artistic and intellectual exchanges and everyone she meets is a new potential source of inspiration.
There's a slightly somber side to Iris that really elevates the entire documentary. At filming, Iris was 93 years old; her husband turned 100 during the shoot. They know they are not going to live forever. The second half of the film sees Iris constantly moving between new projects--jewelry lines for HSN, curating shop windows and museum exhibits across the country--and organizing her work for its final home in various museum collections.
Iris has an emotional attachment to many of her objects. Not like a hoarder, but in a healthy fond memory sort of way. When she travels out to Long Island City to start sorting through her warehouse of home furnishings and art, she's resigned more than excited. In her eyes, it's better for her to know who will care for her collections from around the world before she passes. That doesn't mean that she wants to part with them; she's just realistic. These objects deserve to be seen.
A similar scene happens as she sorts through one of her many closet rooms for donations to a museum. Her wardrobe is going to bring that particular museum's costume library up to date with some of the finest designer and folk fashions of the past 70 years. Better to let go of them now to enrich the world than hold onto them and risk losing them to private collections forever.
Iris' attitude is an inspiration to us all. She has worked hard at what she loves her entire life and she's not slowing down now. Would it be safer for her to simply retire and live out her life in luxury? Of course. Would a mind as sharp and creative as Iris' be satisfied with retirement? Never. Should any of us truly be willing to give up our passions so long as we are physically able to pursue them? Follow Iris' lead. You never know when you can become an octogenarian icon like Iris in your chosen field.
Iris is currently streaming on Netflix.