Renowned for her eclectic style and infectious personality, Iris Apfel, the fashion maven, has passed away at the age of 102 in her Palm Beach home in Florida.
The news was confirmed by Stu Loeser, a spokesperson for her estate, marking the end of a remarkable life that spanned fashion, textile design, and cultural influence.
Apfel's late-in-life fame surged on social media platforms, where she gathered nearly 3 million Instagram followers and 215,000 TikTok fans. Her mantra, "More is more & Less is a Bore," echoed her distinctive approach to fashion.
Born Iris Barrel on August 29, 1921, in Queens, New York, to Russian mother Sadye, a boutique owner, and American father Samuel, whose family specialized in glass and mirrors, Apfel's early life was shaped by a mother who delved into the fashion boutique business. The self-proclaimed "accidental icon" embarked on a career that transcended traditional boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the fashion landscape.
An expert in textiles and antique fabrics, Iris Apfel, alongside her husband Carl, owned the textile manufacturing company Old World Weavers. They specialized in restoration projects, contributing their expertise to the White House under six US presidents and catering to celebrity clients like Estee Lauder and Greta Garbo.
The turning point came in 2005 when the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute showcased 40 pieces from Iris Apfel's collection in an exhibition titled "Rara Avis: The Irreverent Iris Apfel." This exhibition catapulted her into public consciousness, earning her monikers like the "First Lady of Fabric" and "Our Lady of the Cloth." Apfel's eccentric, high-low fashion sense, blending flea market finds with haute couture, became a cultural phenomenon.
Her magnetic presence, adorned in outlandish outfits, ice blue eyeshadow, ruby red lips, and trademark saucer-sized spectacles, became a regular sight at runway shows and magazine covers. Despite her late entry into modeling, Apfel secured a contract with IMG at the age of 97, defying conventional norms and becoming a cover girl in her nineties.
Iris Apfel's philanthropy extended to museums, with the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, receiving a substantial donation of her collection, including couture gowns. The Museum of Fashion & Lifestyle in Palm Beach plans a dedicated gallery to showcase items from her collection.
Her influence extended beyond fashion into various realms, from teaching at the University of Texas to collaborating with MAC Cosmetics and presenting a CFDA Award to designer Alexander Wang. Apfel's charisma and candidness endeared her to audiences, making her an accidental cultural icon.
Iris Apfel recent collaboration with Erstwilder (Photo credit: www.irisapfel.komi.io)
Apfel's later years saw her collaborating with various brands, appearing in ads for M.A.C. cosmetics, Kate Spade, and designing lines for Home Shopping Network, H&M, Ciaté London, Zenni, and Ruggable.
In the documentary "Iris" (2014), directed by Albert Maysles, Apfel declared her love for the bold and extravagant: "I like big and bold and a lot of pizzazz." The film captured her traversing Harlem, haggling for bargains, and expressing her disdain for modern designers who, in her view, lacked the craftsmanship of sewing and draping.
Her favourite contemporary designers included Ralph Rucci, Isabel Toledo, and Naeem Khan. In a 2017 interview at age 95, Apfel emphasized individuality over trends, encouraging everyone to find their unique style. She dubbed herself the "accidental icon," a title that adorned her 2018 book filled with mementoes and style musings.
Apfel's impact was not confined to the fashion world; she symbolized an enduring spirit, continually adapting and embracing life's opportunities. In 2018, she modelled for Vogue, and a Barbie doll in her likeness was created by Mattel. Her resilience and work ethic were evident throughout her career, and even in her later years, she remained a workaholic, expressing gratitude for the unexpected acclaim.
Apfel's impact transcended fashion, with her likeness gracing a Barbie, and various tributes such as T-shirts, glasses, artwork, and dolls immortalizing her legacy.
As a visionary who saw fashion as an art form deeply intertwined with the socio-political context, Apfel's influence will resonate for generations. Her legacy is not merely a collection of clothes but a testament to the power of individuality and the timeless appeal of embracing one's unique style. In the words of The New Yorker, "The essence of Apfel’s art, like that of many of the greatest filmmakers, is the art of montage."
Kim, Kanye, North and Saint West out in NYC Twitter/KimKFan
Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)