Iris Apfel was finally recognized as a great, original fashion stylist in her 80s when the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum in New York had a sudden gap in its 2005 exhibition schedule. Many curators knew Apfel, who died at age 102, as a collector stashing away clothes, especially costume jewelry, both couture-high and street-market-low, so the institute asked to borrow some of her thousands of pieces. When Apfel wore them herself, dozens at a time in ensembles collaged fresh daily, they had zingy pzazz, so she was invited to set up the displays.