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Interior designer Iris Apfel dies aged 102
American interior designer, fashion influencer and “geriatric starlet” Iris Apfel has passed away at the age of 102.
The death of the multidisciplinary creative, who was recognised for her flamboyant personal style, was announced on her Instagram account with an image of Apfel in her trademark oversized glasses.
Apfel, who worked in the interiors and fashion industries throughout her career, shot to international fame in her 80s and 90s after New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibited a show of her eclectic clothes and accessories in 2005.
Titled Rara Avis: Selections From the Iris Apfel Collection, it was the first time the museum had dedicated an exhibition to someone’s wardrobe.
Born Iris Barrel in 1921 in Queens, Apfel studied art history at New York University and art at the University of Wisconsin.After graduating, she worked for fashion magazine Women’s Wear Daily before interning for interior designer Elinor Johnson.
Together with her late husband Carl Apfel, whom she married in 1948, she set up the brand Old World Weavers – a company that specialised in striking textiles informed by things found on the Apfels’ travels.
Under Old World Weavers, the duo completed high-profile projects such as restoring the White House interiors for nine presidents including Harry Truman and Bill Clinton.Remembering the architects and designers we lost in 2023
The designer became a visiting lecturer at the University of Texas in 2011, where she taught fashion students about textiles and crafts.
In later life, Apfel became a staple of the fashion industry. In 2018, toy manufacturer Mattel created a Barbie doll in the designer’s image, although it was not for sale. At the age of 97, she signed a modelling contract with IMG Models.
Apfel playfully called herself a “geriatric starlet” and described the prospect of retirement as “a fate worse than death” shortly after turning 100.
Following the news of her passing, designers around the world paid tribute to Apfel’s legacy. “Iris Apfel has become a world-famous fashion icon because of her incredible talent not only as an artist but as an influencer,” said fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger.
The photography is by Ron Adar courtesy of Shutterstock.Read more: More
French interior designer Christian Liaigre dies aged 77
Christian Liaigre, who fashioned homes for the likes of Karl Lagerfeld and Calvin Klein, has passed away at the age of 77.The French creative and founder of design studio Liaigre, died on Wednesday 2 September. As an interior designer, he was revered for his restrained aesthetic approach.
Employing clean lines and natural materials throughout each of his projects, Liaigre’s style was seen as particularly unusual when he emerged in the 1980s.
“Christian Liaigre preferred to let his designs speak for themselves,” said Liaigre’s studio in a statement.
“He created furniture and objects that reflected his dedication to beauty, a search for balance, an accuracy for proportions and perfection in the detail,” added the studio.
“His luxurious no-frill designs impressed a demanding international clientele on a quest for authenticity.”
Liaigre had few public-facing projects
Born in 1943 in the French coastal city of La Rochelle, Liaigre started developing his knowledge of the design sphere when he enrolled in art school Beaux-Arts de Paris at age 17, before going on to study at L’ecole des Arts Décoratifs.
Liaigre established his eponymous studio in 1985 and opened the doors to his first showroom on Rue de Varenne in Paris’ seventh arrondissement.Five luxury villas around the world by French interiors studio Liaigre
Initially, the late designer only made furnishings but soon went on to develop entire interiors for residences, holiday homes, offices, as well as the cabins of jets and yachts.
His rare public projects – such as the 1990 overhaul of Paris’ Hotel Montalembert, and 1997 revamp of New York’s Mercer Hotel – meant that Liaigre was known on both sides of the Atlantic, yet he largely preferred to work with a roster of private clients.
“Surrounded by the best craftsmen, he imagined and delivered spaces that expressed simplicity, sincerity, a modern and timeless style, alongside a natural attention to wellbeing,” said his studio.
Liaigre eventually stepped down from his studio in 2016, handing over the position of creative director to long-term collaborator Frauke Meyer.
“His taste and style was unmatched”
When studio Liaigre announced their founder’s death over Instagram, tributes poured in from notable industry figures. Designer Ronan Bouroullec recalled meeting Liaigre at L’ecole des Arts Décoratifs and him showing interest in one of Bouroullec’s early furniture models.
“He was so gentle, so simple and nice with me. Someone formidable,” Bouroullec wrote in a comment.
Hotelier Ian Schrager also commented, “there is only Christian [Liaigre] and no one else”.
“The world is less without him. To me, he was the best and most talented designer in the world.” Schrager continued. “His taste and style was unmatched and his refined simplicity and elegance stood above everybody else.”
Belgian architect Vincent Van Duysen additionally took to Instagram to celebrate the life of Liaigre, revealing he had been a fan of the late designer’s work since the end of the 1980s: “Since then, he’s been a great source of inspiration to me, not only as a creative mind but also as an overall stylish yet humble human being.”
Liaigre continued to design luxury homes in countries around the world after its founder retired in 2016.Read more: More
