In the 1950s, Carl and Iris started Old World Weavers, which became famous for making reproductions of fine antique textiles. A small mill in Italy wove the custom fabrics that Iris wanted and was unable to find. In the beginning, the Apfels didn’t have a showroom but worked out of a heavy sample-filled suitcase Carl fitted with wheels so that it could more easily navigate the streets of New York when he was visiting customers. "If we had patented this suitcase with wheels," Iris declares, "we could have retired years ago!"

In order to save space, Iris sewed all the colored silk fabric swatches into one long piece. When Carl showed this ombréd sample to the famous decorator Dorothy Draper, she thought it was one piece of fabric and said it was the most spectacular stripe she had ever seen. She went on to order hundreds of yards of it, and the Apfels’ business took off.

It was then, in the 1950s, that they began their world travels, looking for design inspiration and seeking out specialized mills to weave their extraordinary fabrics. Iris’s eclectic collecting instinct kicked into high gear. Each year, the couple traveled for at least three months when globe-trotting was at its most glamorous—often cruising on legendary transatlantic ships like the S.S. France to Europe, the Near East, North Africa, Greece and Turkey. Iris attended the couture collections in Paris where, being a sample size, she could obtain originals from designers such as Dior and Balenciaga at substantial savings. She was no snob and loved bargains (she still adores Loehmann’s). She says that "in the early 1950s, a flea market was really a flea market," and haunted the marché aux puces in Paris and Bermondsey in London for inspiration—precious 18th-century French laces, rich Italian velvets and silk damasks, ancient hand-woven tapestry pieces and crisp 19th-century French toiles. "If you liked old textiles, it was like a club," says Iris. "Treasures could be found everywhere."

No place was out of bounds—from souks to hidden quarters where artisans resided, the Apfels collected everything, especially the objects and antiques needed for their new, elegant showroom on 57th Street. Originally the antiques were meant to accessorize the fabrics, but from the first moment, clients wanted them, too. The business, which worked on restoration projects in the White House through nine presidents, has been sold to the Stark Carpet Company, but the Apfels are still involved.

Iris continues to buy clothes, now from hot contemporary designers like her favorites, Ralph Rucci, Michael Vollbracht and Dolce & Gabbana, in addition to haunting her favorite antiques shops from New York City to West Palm Beach for new pieces to add to her collections. Her offbeat style spans generations. "If an object gives you pleasure, then collect it," Iris advises. "You are the one who is going to live with it. Remember, there are no rules."

Barbara Milo Ohrbach, Art & Antiques’ Editor at Large, is the author of 21 books, including A Passion for Antiques and Dreaming of Tuscany.