In Rare Bird of Fashion, nonagenarian fashion doyenne Iris Apfel recounts an amusing story about the many perils of interior decorating. It was her first project, and she thought she had nailed it. In fact, she nearly did:
Iris Apfel When I’d finished the job, I spent the day icing champagne and setting out hors d’oeuvres, arranging flowers and lighting candles. When I saw the limo pull up, I stepped out the back door. An hour later I arrived home, happy but wiped out. The phone was ringing off the proverbial hook. “I love it, I love it!” Madame shrieked. “It’s perfection. All is wonderful … but,” she wailed, “you made one major mistake.” Oh God, what could I possibly have overlooked. “Well,” said she, “You know those gorgeous bookshelves in my gorgeous green liberry [sic]? You didn’t even buy me one book! What will I put on the shelves? Fill ‘em up, fill ‘em up. I want ‘em full.” How stupid of me not to realize she didn’t own a single book. I composed myself. “I didn’t know what kind of books you might want.” “Green ones, of course,” she said. “All green.” I was humbled. “Well, how many do you want?” “Just one minute, I’ll measure.” She came back, counting. “At least 90 running feet of them.”
Had we a time machine, Nick Harvill Libraries might be able to travel back to the midcentury and put together a selection of books for Iris Apfel's client. Or perhaps not? We curate books on a variety of fascinating themes, but color of bindings is not one of them. With us, though style is the queen, content reigns as king.
Rare Bird of Fashion commemorates the extraordinary life and style Iris Apfel. Photographer Eric Boman conceived the book after viewing the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute's 2005 exhibition “Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Apfel Collection.” NHL currently has a copy of the book signed by Iris Apfel. It appears to be the only such copy currently available. Check it out here.
Rare Bird of Fashion commemorates the extraordinary life and style Iris Apfel. Photographer Eric Boman conceived the book after viewing the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute's 2005 exhibition “Rara Avis: Selections from the Iris Apfel Collection.” NHL currently has a copy of the book signed by Iris Apfel. It appears to be the only such copy currently available. Check it out here.
 Rare Bird of Fashion |  Rare Bird of Fashion |
Image Credit: Rare Bird of Fashion
RSS Feed