The Ridiculously Simple Thing This 96-Year-Old Fashion Icon Does to Stay Healthy

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96-year-old fashion icon — and author! — Iris Apfel is absolutely ageless.

Five decades after founding her textile company with her late husband, Carl -- not to mention working with no less than nine presidents on decorating the White House -- Iris, who cheekily calls herself a "geriatric starlet," is still going strong.

She designs clothes, teaches fashion at the University of Texas and wears those Coke-bottle glasses with a red lip like none other!

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And how does she do it nearly three years shy of her 100th birthday?

Easy — she takes a multivitamin. And she makes sure it's chewable, because she's not here for "pills for horses." (We feel you, Iris!) Watch the video above to find out which one she loves!

Besides the practical, the Accidental Icon also makes sure to do something very fun: break every rule, especially when it comes to style.

"The rules were made to be broken — I have no rules at all," says Iris. "I think more is more, and less is a bore!"

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She adds, "You have to dress — or you should dress — according to who you are and how you think, and not be a trend follower. The most terrible sin in fashion is looking in the mirror and seeing somebody else."

Amen to that!

As for her favorite accessory? "Confidence."

Which is precisely what you need to pull off Iris' boldest accessories. She brought three necklaces with her to the kitchen table, and we bet you can guess which one Rach loved most!

Rachael Ray Show


"When I was a little girl, my nickname was 'little hoot,' because I was a night owl. And my family gives me owls as a token all the time," Rach tells Iris. "But I've never had an owl like that in my life!"

Obviously, she's not the only one who loves owls. "The owl is my logo for my line. [It's] called Rara Avis, which means 'rare bird,'" Iris explains, noting that that's what The Metropolitan Museum of Art called her in their exhibition on her clothing.

The coolest thing about that necklace? The back opens up to reveal solid perfume!

That's two rare birds for you. (Three if you count our Little Hoot!)

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