High- low dressing, pairing higher priced quality staple items in your wardrobe with less expensive finds (which are typically trendier), is definitely the look du jour. Who doesn’t love to fall in love with an item that is very in the moment and budget friendly as well?! So when I came across an article in the November issue of Harper’s Baazar which mentioned an exhibit at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts which will be featuring the original queen of high-low dressing, the legendary Iris Apfel, I just had to share.

“Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel,’’ which opened at the Peabody Essex Museum on Oct. 17 and will run thru February 7, 2010, is an exhibit which showcases over fifty years’ of Ms. Apfel’s extensive wardrobe. Ms. Apfel’s eclectic wardrobe is vast and includes anything from Parisian couture to flea market jewelry. Known for her love of bold prints and statement pieces, Ms. Apfel’s eye for style is undeniable and rarely forgettable. “Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel,” which features over eighty outfits from her own personal closet, was previously exhibited and well received at both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach.

The Irreverent Iris Apfel

Almost surprisingly, Ms. Apfel’s career was not in fashion directly, but rather textiles. She and her husband Carl founded Old World Weavers, an international textile manufacturing company. Their unparalleled craftsmanship and keen eye for detailed designs earned them clientele which included  Greta Garbo, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Estee Lauder. When it comes to decorative textiles and interior design, Ms. Apfel has been known to have one of the most original points of view and one that has long been revered. At eighty-eight years old, her discerning eye has long been used on multiple restoration projects and she has consulted  on the renovation and refurbishment of the White House. A true tastemaker in her own right, she creates her own world of fashion and imagines an original look that disregards trends.

“Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel” is on view at the Peabody Essex Museum from October 17, 2009 to February 7, 2010. The exhibit will also be shown at the Nassau County Museum of Art in Roslyn Harbor, NY and at the Walter Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, VA.

Hugs and Handbags,

Nyla Noor