Her iconic look has been seen in the pages of fashion magazines for decades, yet when Iris Apfel appears in person, it still feels otherworldly. By way of wheelchair, 93-year-old Apfel still does not disappoint when it comes to her eclectic appearance. In her signature black coke rimmed glasses, she dons a multi-colored tribal inspired jacket, black chunky bracelets, and beautiful draping necklaces (plural, of course). Sitting next to her at today’s press day taking place at the Four Seasons Hotel are the producers of the film Iris, Laura Coxson and Jennifer Ash Rudick. After promoting the film and answering questions all morning, I’m not surprised to hear that she is completely exhausted from the junket. But Iris is a trooper, and for twenty minutes, a few lucky journalists are able to sit down with her and talk about her life, her initial hesitations in agreeing to do the film, and her spirit animal. We begin:

 

How exciting is it to have a film made about you and your views on life?

Iris Apfel: I guess it’s exciting… haha. I’m very grateful and I’m excited that it’s being so well received. I’m so happy that it happened that way for Albert. He’s gone off to heaven but he did love the film. He loved making it and I loved working with him.

How did this project start? What was your first reaction to this movie?

Iris Apfel: I said no. Jennifer [Rudick] started the whole thing.

Laura Coxson: I had been at Maysles and Jennifer sent us an email and we set up a meeting and that’s when the spark started. I don’t know if Iris was completely on board, I could tell there was a palpable energy between the two of them, there was a feeling of camaraderie just from that initial meeting.

Jennifer Ash Rudick: I think like most people, Iris was hesitant thinking, ‘What story do I have to tell?’ People seem to know her from her pictures, and Iris is just so exceptional and normal at the same time, just like all of us. Albert [Maysles, director who passed away in February 2015] wants to humanize everyone and I think it was just so clear to everybody that Al would be the perfect person to humanize Iris because she is a public figure, yet she’s very private. I think she could trust Al. It’s hard to do an honest portrait that isn’t a pat or puff piece, and no one walks the line like Al.

Laura Coxson: I think after meeting Albert you’d be hard-pressed to say ‘No” to him. There was immediate empathy and I can’t tell you how many people I met with him on different projects. He really has… had an energy that was hard to deny.

(Albert Maysles and Iris Apfel, Courtesy of L.A. Times)

What about working with these lovely ladies [Coxson and Rudick]?

Iris Apfel: Well that goes without saying.

What inspired me was your self-confidence. Have you always had that confidence?

Iris Apfel: I guess I’ve always had it, but now it’s more so.

Iris, you’ve been described as a “Rare bird of fashion,” what would you say is your spirit animal?

Laura Coxson: I would say the tiger in the Met show, there’s an outfit that Iris designed– it’s a hand-woven fabric– and it’s beautiful. There’s a tiger in the shot of this woman wearing this coat but that tiger, every time I see the film, it reminds me of Iris.

Iris Apfel: I think maybe some shaggy old dog.

Laughter

Jennifer Ash Rudick: I wouldn’t say a unicorn, but that’s all I can think of. Iris loves fantasy, but she is really grounded in reality too.

Iris Apfel: I’ve always had a problem because my middle has been stretched, my head’s in the clouds and my feet are on the ground. That’s how I’ve always been. I’m very practical. I love fantasy and all that, but I’m very pragmatic.

What is your motivation to continue to push yourself?

Iris Apfel: I just like to experience different things and if a project comes along that I think I can learn something from, I’ll do it.

(Iris Apfel for MAC, Courtesy of l’étoile Magazine)

I have to ask, what is your skin regime to keep looking so beautiful?

Iris Apfel: Beautiful? Oh God, I looked in the mirror today and I screamed.

Laughter

Then the makeup lady had the gall to come with a magnifying mirror. I don’t do anything, it’s terrible. I should, but I don’t. People send me all of these products and I did an collection for MAC and they sent me everything you can think of, but they’re still in the boxes. I don’t have time for that. I just wash my face. I use Cetaphil from the drugstore. I only wear makeup when I’m going on camera. I shine too much without it so they slap some on.

What advice do you have for young girls who want to be like you?

Iris Apfel: I think they have to learn on their own. Learn what they can tolerate and what they can handle, and not just follow what people tell them to do. You can’t do your own thing unless you have a thing to do, so they have to develop and learn something. Be yourself is the most important thing, don’t live in somebody else’s image.

How was the filming process?

Iris Apfel: I was completely bound by these people over here [Points to producers].

Laura Coxson: It was a sporadic schedule, not to be the boring person at the table, but figuring out the right shoots that made sense with our budget were not easy. Albert’s whole style is to film things as their happening, so sometimes if we couldn’t get something that was happening, like the Met show that already happened, maybe we get Iris talking about it and also Harold [Koda, Curator in charge of The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art] talking about it.

Jennifer Ash Rudick: Iris was very kind and let us in on her schedule, and as time went on there were more intimate shoots in her apartment and of course that is the more, at least to me anyway, the more interesting parts. As the subject she didn’t really know where things were going, so she’d ask, ‘Why do you want to come to my house and watch me make soup?’ or something. She put a lot of faith in the process.

(Carl and Iris Apfel in their condo in Palm Beach, Florida, Courtesy of Palm Beach Daily News)

Was your husband Carl always on board to be in the film?

Iris Apfel: He’s a ham at heart so yeah.

Laughter

Laura Coxson: There really was a kinship between Carl and Albert. When we had the opportunity to be filming with him, even just from a sightline level, they’d both be sitting near each other talking. There’s a lot of great footage of that.

Do you follow trends?

Iris Apfel: I don’t give a damn about any trends, it’s pointless. Trends come and go and I don’t think they matter. If a trend suits you it’s good, otherwise who needs it. Forget about it. Keep what looks good on you and what you’re happy wearing. I can’t stand these columns, “The Ten Things You Must Have.” Why?

What is Iris going to be doing next?

Iris Apfel: I book coming out, I have to get to work on that. A bag line. I’m so tired, I can’t remember.

Iris is in select theaters Friday, May 1st.