Iris Apfel Launches Exclusive New Collection With HSN

NEW YORK and ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Nicknamed "Rara Avis" (Rare Bird) in the fashion world, the legendary Iris Apfel and HSN will join forces this September to launch an exclusive collection Rara Avis by Iris Apfel.  Admired for her flamboyant yet elegant flair and unorthodox composition of clothes, Ms. Apfel has served as an inspiration to fashion designers around the world.  She was honored in 2005 at an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and featured in a book released in 2007 titled, "Rare Bird of Fashion: The Irreverent Iris Apfel," written by Eric Boman.  

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Her unique line with HSN will feature jewelry and accessories, inspired by her personal ensemble of fifty years.  Rara Avis by Iris Apfel fuses vintage designs with modern influences to create statement pieces that reflect Ms. Apfel's personal rule of style  – "The fun of getting dressed is it's a creative experience. "

"I always say that you can change the entire look of an outfit by accessorizing.  Take a black dress for instance; toss on different jewelry and create 100 different outfits. Take that principle and combine it with the fact that I have accumulated a great number of fabulous pieces over my lifetime and they culminate into something major -- my HSN line," said Ms. Apfel.  "I want to teach people to be less deliberate with their accessorizing choices and have fun putting surprising looks and styles together."

Inspired by her life experiences and worldly travels, the Rara Avis by Iris Apfel collection contains an eclectic mix of brightly colored beads, animal-like pendants, pave pins and the chunky cuffs that have become Ms. Apfel's signature items.  Ranging in price from $20 to $150, Rara Avis by Iris Apfel will be available this September exclusively on HSN.

"Working with Iris has been an incredible experience. Her distinct sense of style and ability to put unexpected combinations together has led to an extraordinary line for HSN," said John Bosco, Senior Vice President of Apparel, Accessories and Jewelry for HSN. "Wait until our customers have the opportunity to interact with Iris LIVE on HSN!  Her inherent youth and vivacious nature are contagious."

About HSN:

Headquartered in St. Petersburg, FL, HSN is a leading interactive multichannel retailer, offering a curated assortment of exclusive products and top brand names to its customers. HSN incorporates experts, entertainment, inspiration, solutions, tips and ideas to provide an entirely unique shopping experience. At HSN, customers find exceptional selections in Health & Beauty (e.g. M. Asam, Carol's Daughter, Coty, FusionBeauty, Andrew Lessman's Procaps, Lancome, Perlier, Serious Skin Care, Wei East, ybf Beauty); Jewelry (e.g. Heidi Daus, Grayce by Molly Sims, R.J. Graziano, IMAN Global Chic, Amedeo Scognamiglio, Tori Spelling, Serena Williams Signature Statement); Home/Lifestyle (e.g. Nate Berkus, Bissell, Colin Cowie, Dyson, Todd English, GreenPan with Thermolon, Emeril Lagasse, Joy Mangano, MoMA Design Store, Wolfgang Puck); Fashion/Accessories (e.g. American Glamour Badgley Mischka, Curations with Stefani Greenfield, Sam Edelman, Loulou de la Falaise, Chi by Carlos Falchi, Diane Gilman, "Timeless" by Naeem Khan, Adrienne Landau, Sharif); and Electronics (e.g. Canon, Gateway, GE, HP, JVC, Kodak, LG, Sony).

A leader in transactional innovation, HSN is the only retailer offering live streaming video on three screens: TV network, which broadcasts live to 95 million households in the US in HD 24/7; hsn.com, which ranks in the top 30 of the top 500 internet retailers and features 15,000 product videos; and mobile via its mobile-optimized site and iPhone and Android shopping applications.  HSN, founded 33 years ago as the first shopping network, is an operating segment of HSN, Inc. (NASDAQ: HSNI).

SOURCE HSN