Beauty Unrecognized

When I asked this woman if I could take her photograph, she replied, “Why would you want a photograph of an old lady like me?” This is a response I hear quite often. I’m always surprised when some of the women I photograph don’t realize how inspiring and vibrant they truly are. After the shoot, she smiled and I thanked her for making my day.

Iris Apfel Turns 92 Today, Hooray!!!!

I want to wish a very happy and healthy 92nd birthday to one of my favorite style icons and inspirations Iris Apfel. Everytime I visit Iris I come back home feeling more inspired and more curious about the world around me. She inspires us all to do more, learn more and be more. In her own words, ” More is more and less is a bore.” Happy Birthday  to New York’s most original, irreverent, and inspiring grand dame.


Iris Apfel & Ari Seth Cohen – Drug of Choice from The Avant/Garde Diaries on Vimeo.