Iris Apfel isn’t shy about speaking her mind, even if it’s not what she’s expected to say. “Appropriate seems to be a word that’s gone out of the lexicon,” bemoans the fashion icon to VIOLET GREY, never mind the fact that — at 93 years old — she wears plastic bangles to black-tie galas and has been known to sport candy-apple-red leather trousers.

But an element of surprise is part of Apfel’s charm. From her eccentric style and her late-in-life fame to her pleas that she’s neither a feminist nor a “fashionista” (although she certainly appears to be both), the charismatic nonagenarian has never fit neatly into a box.

Which, of course, makes her a most compelling subject for a documentary.

Opening in theaters this Wednesday, Iris, by legendary documentarian Albert Maysles (Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter), takes an in-depth look at the life and career of its titular star. Shot in the director’s signature cinéma vérité style and with unrestricted access, the film delves into Apfel’s private life, exploring her tender relationship with her 101-year-old husband, Carl, and their extensive world travels over the years as the owners of noted textile company Old World Weavers. Maysles (who passed away last month at 88) also traces Apfel’s rise as a self-described “geriatric starlet” and the 2005 Costume Institute exhibit “Rara Avis (Rare Bird): The Irreverent Iris Apfel” that honored Apfel’s sui generis style and effectively put her on the map. “She wasn’t always celebrated for her ideas, but she was always true to her vision,” says Iris producer Jennifer Ash Rudick. “That’s a legacy that transcends fashion.”

Now a style and beauty world fixture, Apfel developed a capsule collection with M.A.C. in 2011, for which she modeled, and took a turn in front of the lens for the Alexis Bittar spring ’15 campaign. This season, she shares a park bench with fashion’s other leading lady, Karlie Kloss, for Kate Spade, and she’s developed her very own line of costume jewelry for HSN, also named Rara Avis, boldly embracing the rare bird mantle she now wears proudly.

“In a world where grandmothers and their teenage granddaughters look surprisingly the same from behind, it’s wonderful to have our Iris original,” says fashion illustrator Donald Robertson. “She’s the only woman who can make a 22-year-old fashionista wish they were 90, have white hair and need concept glasses.” Ever the engaging conversationalist, Apfel chats with VIOLET GREY below.