Iris Apfel, a formidable force in the fashion industry and a beacon of individual style, has passed away at the age of 102. Known for her larger-than-life personality and bold sartorial choices, Apfel left an indelible mark on the worlds of interior design and fashion alike. Renowned for her hallmark black-rimmed glasses and inimitable flair, she breathed her last in her Palm Beach home. The news was confirmed via an Instagram post on her official account and later corroborated by her estate's spokesman Stu Loeser, according to CNN.

Apfel's story began in Queens, New York, where she was born to Jewish parents in 1921. A self-proclaimed black-belt shopper, Apfel made her first foray into the world of style at the age of 11 and maintained that fervor throughout her century-spanning life. Growing up in the thick of the Depression, she honed in on her knack for bargain hunting, a trait that stayed with her even as she adorned herself in couture in her later years. She founded the textile company Old World Weavers with her husband Carl, which brought them jobs that most can only dream of, including redecorating the White House for nine U.S. presidents. Carl Apfel predeceased his wife in 2015, just shy of his 101st birthday. In a statement obtained by CNN, Iris once described him as "a very generous man, and a very funny man."

The fashion icon's influence extended beyond textiles and design, cementing her status in the annals of style history when The Metropolitan Museum of Art staged "Rara Avis (Rare Bird)," a comprehensive exhibit of her accessories and ensembles. The exhibit marked the first time the Met had honored a living non-designer woman such as herself—the fashion maven who could mix Dior with thrift-store finds effortlessly. Her work and fashion philosophy continued to inspire, leading to late-life stardom that included high-profile campaigns, her makeup line with MAC Cosmetics, and collaborations with renowned brands like Kate Spade and H&M. Iris Apfel was an inspiration featured in a documentary film, "Iris," directed by Albert Maysles, as reported by AP News.

Even as she approached and surpassed the centennial mark, retirement was not an option for Apfel. "I think retiring at any age is a fate worse than death," she told "Today" and manifested this tenet by consistently seeking new challenges and projects until her last days. Iris Apfel may have been amassing nearly 3 million Instagram followers with her "More is more & Less is a Bore" mantra, but she maintained a healthy skepticism towards social media, once expressing to CNN that "It's too damn nosy. I don't give a damn what you ate, and I don't care who you're sleeping with...It's an enormous waste of time." Nonetheless, she created a noticeable presence on platforms like TikTok, doling out sage advice to her 215,000 followers.

Known as the "Accidental Icon," she authored a book by the same name filled with her musings on style, reflecting her journey from a curious girl in Queens to a venerable figure in the global fashion lexicon. Her memory will live on, not just in the epochal pieces she donated to museums, but in the energetic spirit of individualism and fearlessness she championed. With no children, Iris Apfel's legacy is carried forward by the countless people touched by her creative vision, wit, and unapologetic sense of self. "Everybody should find her own way," she once said in a 2017 interview with AP, providing timeless advice that transcends trends and speaks to the heart of authenticity.