Entering the H&M Philippines showroom for the Iris Apfel x H&M press preview, one is greeted by an onslaught of textures, colors and prints, from jacquard floral suits and ruffled dresses to chunky statement accessories. After two years of the pandemic, these happy, vibrant images are such a welcome sight.
Before the pandemic, Apfel was a regular fixture in fashion weeks. Known for her eclectic fashion sense, she has mastered the style and the art of putting together a flamboyant mix of prints, colors, ruffles, and bling. Of course, she’s always been the show’s scene stealer.
By the way, she was already in her 90s then, making her one hype lola.
Originally an interior designer, she rose to fame late in life after she started decorating, with her husband, the White House under various administrations.
Ruffled jacket and tailored jacquard pants (Photo by Luis Carlo San Juan)
To celebrate her 100th birthday, Apfel collaborated with Swedish fast-fashion brand H&M. She tells British Vogue that this collaboration is bringing her signature eclecticism to a wider audience, “people who also ‘want to look a bit different,’ and don’t have a small fortune to spend on doing so,” she said. “To me, it was a perfect fit.” She easily put it as a collaboration focused on individualism.
The collection depicts Apfel’s more-is-more aesthetic—a playful mix of textures, patterns, and cuts, like a jacquard suit with peapod embroidery and pearl peas, a voluminous frilled tulle jacket and a flouncy tiered skirt and blouse set in a stunning iris flower print. A rainbow of fabulous, vivid colors—canary yellow, emerald green, radiant violet, vivid turquoise, sunset orange—brings the garments to life.
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Apfel on her H&M collaboration:
“I don’t think high style needs to come with a high price. Some of my favorite pieces have cost the least. It’s about finding what works for you and what you love, and to do that you need the opportunity to experiment and try new things. H&M has mastered offering fabulous fashion that is affordable. They’ve made style more accessible, which I love. So this collaboration was a perfect match.”
‘I don’t want people to dress like me and I don’t want people to think like me — that’s not the idea’
On the Iris Apfel x H&M collection:
“The collection offers some marvelous pieces that can be used as building blocks for people exploring their personal style. I don’t want people to dress like me and I don’t want people to think like me—that’s not the idea. I want people to think for themselves, to find the colors, cuts, accessories, and combinations that work for them, to use their imaginations, to wear what they love. You should be your own style icon. What makes you happy?
GMA star Glaiza De Castro
On the inspiration:
“I don’t know where my inspiration comes from. I’m experimental, I’m curious, I like to try new things. I do what feels right, I improvise. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s always exciting. When I design things, I want to smile and laugh and feel happy. And I had fun with this collection. The pieces are playful, they’re filled with movement and color and joy and possibility, and that’s what style should be about. Glamour, fantasy, humor, whimsy—all of this is missing in modern life. We should bring it back. And where better to start than with your wardrobe?”
Iris Apfel wearing her favorite H&M piece, a turquoise and green suit in jacquard fabric, with little peas embroidery.
On choosing the wonderfully vibrant palette:
“I love color—the brighter the better. I’m not a pastel person. Pastels make me anxious! I love the energy bright colors bring to an outfit, the excitement. I love the way they make me feel. Fashion should be fun, and color is fun. This collection has lots of loud, splashy colors—canary yellow, emerald green, violet, turquoise, sunset orange. It’s really a rainbow, isn’t it?”
On how she wants people to wear the collection:
“I think part of the problem with the way people dress nowadays is that it’s too generic. Everyone looks the same, they wear the same things. They wear what’s in fashion, what’s trendy, what they’re being told to wear. That’s terribly dull. I want to see personality. Don’t be afraid to experiment, to express yourself with what you wear. Style is within, I think it’s in your DNA—so you have to figure out who you are first. When you’ve found yourself, you’ll find your style. Your personality, your taste, your unique look—that never goes out of style. Don’t strive to look like everyone else. Strive to look like yourself. Dress exactly the way you want to and you’ll always look wonderful, because you’ll feel wonderful—you’ll feel like yourself. And anyway, I think it’s much better to be happy than well dressed.
A ’60s inspired printed jacquard coat, complete with printed stockings and slip-on loafers (Photo by Luis Carlo San Juan)
Key pieces in the collection:
“There’s a turquoise and green suit that I love. It’s one of my favorite pieces. It’s made from a divine jacquard fabric, with lovely little peas embroidered on it. The craftsmanship and tailoring are brilliant—it looks truly haute couture. And the ruffled purple tulle jacket really is fabulous too. So much volume! I love a piece that takes up space. It’s so playful and luxurious. It’s so much fun to wear. You feel wonderfully avant-garde with that one on. And, of course, the accessories.
“They’re big, they’re bold, they’re wild. Perfect for layering. You can mix them with pieces you already have, make them suit your look. There’s a fantastic orange and green necklace with a chunky chain and a frog pendant, and you can remove the frog and use it as a brooch. I adore that kind of versatility.”
The collection will launch on hm.com and in H&M Greenbelt starting March 31, 2022.
Iris Apfel-inspired cookies and chocolates (Photo by Luis Carlo San Juan)
