Who was Iris Apfel married to? Family life explored as iconic designer dies aged 102

Iris Apfel, who started the textile company Old World Weavers with her husband Carl, recently passed away from unknown causes on March 1, 2024. People magazine states that she was 102 years old at the time of her death and celebrated her last birthday in August last year.

Iris and her husband, Carl Apfel tied the knot in 1948 and were romantically linked the previous year, as per Town & Country magazine. The duo worked at the White House on different restoration projects as part of the Old World Weavers, which was sold in 1992.

The fashion icon's death was announced on her official social media pages with a photo. The comment sections of the posts were flooded with tributes from the public, who praised her style and work throughout her career.

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Iris Apfel and Carl Apfel were married for more than 60 years: Relationship timeline and family explored

Iris Apfel gained recognition over the years for her work in the fashion industry. While she was known as one of the founders of Old World Weavers, her personal collections were additionally famous among the public.

The New York Times stated that Apfel's father, Samuel Barrel, operated a glass and mirror business and her mother Sadye had a fashion boutique. As mentioned earlier, she was married to Carl Apfel and they started their textile company during the 50s.

Iris Apfel recalled her marriage in an interview with Palm Beach Illustrated, saying that she "never wanted a wedding." She continued:

"I said I'd rather have the money, but the parents and the grandparents wanted the wedding… It was a fairly small wedding – I think 125 people – but very posh."

In 2014, the pair's love story was covered in a documentary titled Iris. They first met in 1947 at a resort in New York during a vacation and got engaged the same year. While speaking to The Guardian in 2015, Iris addressed the reasons behind not having a child, saying that she had to travel frequently with her husband.

"I don't believe in a child having a nanny, so it wasn't what we were going to do, but also having children is like protocol. You're expected to. And I don't like to be pigeonholed."

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Iris Apfel and her career explained in brief

Iris Apfel developed an interest in fashion since her mother was also a part of the same industry. She completed her higher studies at New York University and Wisconsin University, as per The Hollywood Reporter.

She purchased various outfits and accessories when she was a child, and she addressed the same in an interview with The Guardian in 2018. She said:

"My first big shopping trip, when I was 11 or 12. My mother gave me $25 to but an outfit for the Easter Parade. I bought a beautiful silk dress in pale peach, a straw hat and a pair of pumps, and I still had money left for coffee and lunch."

Her first job was as an interior designer under Elinor Johnson, and she later gained recognition as the co-founder of Old World Weavers with her husband. She later created clothes and accessories designed by her, and they were displayed at an exhibition called Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Apfel Collection held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005.

Apfel's husband, Carl died at the age of 100 in 2015, and she has continued to pay tribute to him on different occasions over the years. She even posted a throwback picture on Instagram in August 2022, which also marked the 108th birthday of her late husband.