Fashion icon Iris Apfel talks about designing the new “Murder on the Orient Express” collection for HSN
After nine decades of blessing the world with impeccable style and taste, you would think Iris Apfel would want to go hang out on a tropical beach and relax the day away. But not so! Apfel joined forces with HSN and a handful of designers to create a collection inspired by the film Murder on the Orient Express, and it’s as delightful as one would imagine.
In celebration of this new murder-mystery movie, HSN enlisted the help of nine designers, artists, and brands to come up with an array of looks and pieces that pay homage to the style and era of this film. All of the clothes in the collection were designed with the three lead characters as a source of inspiration, but it had to translate to accessible clothing for the present day.
These eclectic collections use stunning fabrics and colors that are evocative of the extravagant lifestyles of the characters in the film. This is definitely a collection for the books, friends! Contributing to this collection along with Iris, are Bibhu Mohapatra, Heidi Daus, Clever Carriage, Patricia Nash, Waterford, Lancôme, and Destinations.
We had a chance to ask the iconic Apfel a few questions about her era-inspired jewelry and Mongolian fur collection for this project.
We can think of no one better than our beloved Iris to capture this opulent aesthetic.
You can tell that her experience as an interior decorator and textile designer heavily influences her taste and preferences. She’s traveled the world and worked in many mediums, and that imbues a sense of story in the unique pieces that she creates. Iris tells HelloGiggles,
"My work within the textile industry began in the early 1950s with my husband, so I have a deep-rooted appreciation for fabric, texture, and quality."
This is apparently not just in her clothing and jewelry, but also in the gorgeous luggage set that’s part of the collection.
Iris says, “Our work afforded us the luxury of world travel, which has impacted my style over the years. As a result, both my experience and travels influence the luggage that I designed for this collection — the shape is reflective of the era in which the movie takes place, however, I’ve modernized the design by adding small details such as gold hardware and tassels.”
Iris’ personal style is part of what makes her so recognizable, and while we love all the pieces she designed for the collection, her taste comes through in the pins. Iris explained why the pins were so important in both the era portrayed in the film and as part of the HSN line. She states,
"In the 1930s, women began wearing more accessories, so that movement is the inspiration behind the pins. The colors of the jewels are reflective of the tone of the film — rich and moody."
And while she has several pieces of jewelry as part of the collection, she loves the “literal translation of the Orient Express Train Pin — it aligns with my style outside of the film (big and bold) but is a great iconic representation of the Orient Express.”
It’s illuminating to hear about Iris’ work and inspiration straight from the legend herself. She is truly 90-year-old goals, and it doesn’t look like she’s going to slow down anytime soon. She tells HelloGiggles,
"My goal is to never stop creating, collaborating, and designing."
Cheers to that! As with all of her other work, this impeccable collection just screams “IRIS,” so if you’re a fan of the 96-year-old style maven, you won’t want to miss this. You can shop the new collection on HSN.
