Ottawa and the global fashion world lost one of its most magnetic personalities this week with the passing of Iris Apfel at the remarkable age of 102. Known for her oversized round glasses, layered costume jewellery, and an unapologetic love of colour and texture, Apfel was one of fashion's most beloved figures, and a reminder that personal style has no expiration date.
Who Was Iris Apfel?
Iris Apfel was an American businesswoman, interior designer, and fashion personality who became a style icon relatively late in life, a fact that made her even more beloved. Born in 1921 in Queens, New York, she spent decades running a textile firm with her husband Carl before a 2005 exhibition of her personal wardrobe at the Metropolitan Museum of Art catapulted her to global fame.
From that point on, Apfel became a fixture in fashion campaigns, documentaries, and cultural conversations about aging, self-expression, and the joy of dressing. She collaborated with brands ranging from MAC Cosmetics to fast-fashion giant H&M, always on her own terms and always looking spectacular.
A Philosophy Ottawa Can Embrace
For Ottawa's style community, a scene that's quietly grown more adventurous in recent years. Apfel's philosophy feels particularly relevant. Her core message was simple: wear what makes you happy, pile it on, and never apologize for taking up space with your wardrobe.
That kind of confidence is something Ottawa shoppers, thrift hunters along Bank Street, and boutique enthusiasts in Westboro and the Glebe have increasingly embraced. The capital's independent fashion scene, from vintage shops to local designers showcasing at Ottawa Fashion Week, channels exactly the spirit Apfel embodied: intentional, expressive, and deeply personal.
More Is More, And Always Was
Apfel's maximalist ethos stood in direct contrast to the minimalism that dominated fashion conversations for much of the past decade. She stacked bangles by the armful, mixed prints without hesitation, and treated accessories as the entire point of an outfit, not an afterthought.
Her influence can be felt in the current fashion moment, which has swung back toward maximalism, colour, and self-expression. The resurgence of bold jewellery, mixed textures, and statement coats, all things Ottawa shoppers can find at local boutiques or through vintage markets like the Ottawa Vintage Clothing Show, owes something to Apfel's decades of unapologetic dressing.
An Icon Who Refused to Fade
What set Apfel apart wasn't just her wardrobe. It was her refusal to become invisible. In an industry obsessed with youth, she built her most famous chapter after turning 80. She modelled, she collaborated, she gave interviews with sharp wit until the very end. She signed with modelling agency IMG at age 97.
For anyone in Ottawa who has ever felt too old, too loud, or too much. Iris Apfel was proof that those instincts are worth following, not suppressing.
She leaves behind a legacy stitched together with rhinestones, boldness, and the radical idea that getting dressed is one of life's great pleasures.
Source: CityNews Ottawa via Google News Ottawa Style feed.
