Our friendship with Iris Apfel
People often ask me about my relationship with Iris. Here are some answers to your many questions!
How did you meet Iris Apfel?

My friendship with Iris started over a decade ago. A friend of Iris’s bought one of our classic pashmina necklaces as a gift for Iris. The necklace was made of hundreds of brightly colored, small wooden beads repurposed from wood retrieved from a furniture factory. She thought it was the most unique design she had seen in years, wanted to see what else I made, and decided to track me down. Although my company, Jianhui London is based in London, Iris quickly learned that we regularly show our line in NYC several times a year. To our delight, she surprised me one afternoon. That was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and professional collaboration.
How did your friendship develop?
Since then, Iris consistently visited our shows in Manhattan to see what was new and fresh. She relished living out loud and my bold, graphic, and playful designs struck a chord with her. Iris would invite us to her residence on Park Avenue, which was a home filled with eclectic treasures and exotic mementos from her international and colorful life. My team and I, from New York and Indonesia, would take our huge trunks packed with new designs to give Iris her own up-close-and-personal show. These shows would last for hours! With each visit we learned a bit more about each other. And our friendship deepened.
What were your conversations with iris like?
We talked about life, Iris’s impressive career as a fabric designer, and my future jewelry and clothing concepts. We would brainstorm. When we got together, our energy, thoughts, shared love of history and art would just flow and develop into a magical, easy collaboration. Her love of beauty and love of life fed into my designs organically. There was utter love in the room.
We shared stories of our youth and our travels abroad. As the “show” was coming to an end, Iris would always ask, “Are you sure this is everything you’ve got?” or “Did I miss anything?” The Jianhui Collection is very extensive, so this was a little joke for us. Sometimes, it felt as though she wasn’t ready for us to leave so we stayed.
What was it about Iris that you admired so much?
What drew me even closer to Iris is that she enveloped you in unconditional love. She was more than a friend: I saw her as my chosen family, like the indulgent grandmother or fairy godmother we all dreamed of. She had a way of connecting with you that was extraordinarily affirming. She was non-judgmental and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. With her childlike delight towards life, she was an old-school New Yorker who was gracious, loving, and generous. You would leave from a visit with her inspired and exuberant. She filled you with joy and inspiration. In her presence, you felt like the most important person in the world. She had that kind of magic.
How often did you see Iris?
When the pandemic hit, London was locked down. We couldn’t visit in person, so Iris checked in, always remembering to ask about my parents, our team and our artisans in China. When she learned that I was struggling to give our artisans work because many orders were cancelled due to closed shops and many boutiques were going out of business, Iris said, “I remember you told me about your idea of making jewelry from discarded plastic water bottles. Now may be a good time. Use this crisis as an opportunity.” This is how our Aqua Collection was born. Iris was the main force behind it. The collection is entirely handmade. We collect used plastic water bottles, then cut, shape, and hand-paint them to create unique pieces.
Is Iris your business partner?
Lockdown also gave us the time to pivot from our boutique in central London to launch an online store. When I told Iris, she encouraged me adding that, “Maybe you can call your wooden bead collection the Iris Collection. I love your bead collections…they are very me!”
She explained, that, due to her various contracts, she was not legally permitted to promote my company. So, she found a clever alternative to help promote the Jianhui London brand!
Were you at Iris’ birthday party?
When the international borders opened after the height of the pandemic, it was an honor to celebrate Iris’s 100th. 101st, and 102nd birthdays at her home. The image of her blowing out all those candles will always be imprinted in my mind. What a beautiful life she lived! What joy to be a small part of it.
Did you style Iris for her advertisements and special events?
No! Iris styled herself! But in all fairness, to honor our special connection, Iris wore our designs for many of her commercials and print ads, such as for Ruggable, Laundrie NYC, Zenni Optical, and more. Before her new book, “Accidental Icon” was launched, Iris asked me to design two jackets for her. She was so pleased with the sample that she ordered one in grey/blue and another in red. She would pair the fabric fringe jackets with our matching wooden necklaces and wear them at book signings and other events. That’s how our now iconic fringe coat spread so rapidly! Iris was our best model. She embodied the spirit of Jianhui London perfectly.
What other fashion pieces did Iris purchase from you?
More recently, before our first Earth Day Show event at M.A.D. (The Museum of Art and Design) in Manhattan, Iris was thrilled again with our completely recycled plastic fringe jackets, made from water bottles. She chose one in metallic silver and another in rainbow colors – an LGBTQIA+ statement piece. She enjoyed them so much that she later purchased a recycled plastic rainbow t-shirt, a rose jacket covered with small hand cut red recycled plastic flowers, and several coordinating necklaces from the same collection. Even before many celebrities got on board, Iris was a progressive, a proud supporter of sustainable designs and caring for all people and the planet.
Was Iris a customer or a friend?
Through the years, Iris never wanted to accept a gift from us; however, we wanted to spoil her with new samples and designs we thought she would enjoy. Whenever we would send her a birthday gift, she phoned immediately to thank me. She would remind me again and again, “Jianhui, you shouldn’t send me any gifts! That’s too much, it’s so kind and generous of you!” I constantly had to remind her that our friendship was more important than money.
Did Iris inspire you?
Iris was a constant source of inspiration as I wanted to come up with new designs to delight her. She was my biggest cheerleader often saying, “You are so talented” every time she tried on a new piece. She would say that my designs were perfect for her because they are very light, they can stand alone, be mixed, matched, stacked, worn together or piled on. Of note, she would say, “More is more, less is a bore.”
What was your relationship like with Iris?
Iris Apfel was not just a fashion icon; she was a very dear friend and our biggest supporter. How fortunate we were to have found each other and share a decade's worth of fun, design, style, laughter, joy, and collaboration. We miss our dear friend, Iris, terribly!