Iris Apfel, the lovable 96-year-old fashion icon, is officially the oldest person to ever be turned into a Barbie doll, CNN reports.
Apfel unveiled the toy March 15 on Instagram, debuting a figurine with an uncanny resemblance and a spot-on wardrobe. The mini-me wears an embroidered emerald Gucci suit, a ruffled collar, layered necklaces, color blocked bangles, and that signature pair of round, oversized glasses.
"Iris Apfel is a fashion role model for Barbie with her singular style vision, entrepreneurial spirit and independence. Her long-spanning career makes her the perfect subject of a one-of-a-kind doll, the highest honor Barbie bestows," the brand said in a statement.
Apfel's doll, though apparently wrinkle-free, adds some age diversity to Barbie's canon. It's also a fitting follow-up to the diverse group of dolls fashioned after female role models (AKA "Sheroes"), which the company introduced March 8 in honor of International Women's Day.
These boundary-breaking women include Frida Kahlo, directors Patty Jenkins and Ava Duvernay, model Ashley Graham, ballerina Misty Copeland, and Olympic athletes Gabby Douglas and Ibtihaj Muhammad (whose doll marked the first Barbie wearing a hijab).
Unfortunately, Iris' Barbie is not for sale, but two "styled by" dolls are coming this fall, inspired by Apfel's Rara Avis jewelry collection. You also don't need to have her Barbie to get inspired by her style; Apfel often shares fashion advice, for free. She spilled some wisdom in a recent issue of Harper's BAZAAR:
"Why would you want to look like everyone else when there’s such a big choice of things today? It’s hard to give blanket advice, but I just think that if everybody tries to be as self-respecting and interesting as they can, it would be a better world. Use your head and think about other people and look in a mirror once in a while!"
Amen to that.
