IRIS
Director: Albert Maysles
Cast: Iris Apfel, Carl Apfel, Billy Apfel, Alexis Bittar, Mickey Boardman, Linda Fargo, Tavi Gevinson, David Hoey, Naeem Khan, Harold Koda, Jenny Lyons, Duro Olowu
Rating: (M)
Four stars (out of five)
First, always, is her husband Carl, who turned 100 during the filming of this documentary of their lives.
Iris (Rialto) tells the story of a woman who loves pattern and colour and in her professional life worked as an interior decorator and fabric designer in partnership with her husband.
She travelled extensively in search of unique furniture and other inspiration for her work.
She also collected costume jewellery and developed her own layered way of wearing it.
In all this she never considered herself particularly fashion orientated.
Her second career as a style star happened after she agreed to have her costume jewellery put on display to fill a gap at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005.
The exhibition was a huge hit, even if most of the people attending had no idea who Iris Apfel was, and since then opportunities linked to fashion, rather than design, have flowed.
Apfel is 93 and relishes the social whirl associated with her new career.
Even when she finds it tiring she loves being around people and says dressing up is always fun.
In the end that is why this documentary delights.
Not because of the sometimes extraordinary way Apfel puts her outfits together, but because of her deep engagement in life.
• Christine O'Connor
