Iris Apfel is the brightest star at Macy's

Sorry Justin Timberlake and Ryan Seacrest, but the preeminent celebrity lifestyle brand at the iconic, red-starred department store is fronted by a 95-year-old woman who has never sold out an arena, hosted a reality competition series or made a cameo on SNL.

The undeniable fan-favorite of Macy's fall fashion lineup is style legend Iris Apfel, who celebrated her 95th birthday and the release of her fashion collaboration with the department store last week. At least, that is, according to the reception at Macy's Fashion's Front Row event Wednesday night at the start of New York Fashion Week.

Guests at the Madison Square Garden show were greeted with swag bags complete with imitations of the giant black frames that are Apfel's trademark and were instructed to put them on before models took the stage-come-runway in pieces from the new line. The looks got some of the biggest rounds of applause during the fashion event, which was interspersed with performances by Arianna Grande and Flo Rida.

Timberlake's line, William Rast, and Seacrest's collection were shown, as well as pieces from Tommy Hilfiger and Rachel Roy's contemporary line, Rachel Rachel Roy.

But it was Apfel's 60s style prints, mod shifts and tall boots that really stuck. Not to mention the oversized jewelry that looked as if it could be plucked out of her own closet. The longtime style and design wiz, who worked with her husband running a textile business and completed interior and restoration design projects for nine U.S. presidents at the White House, has become a sensation à la the late Bill Cunningham, or comedian Betty White.

She was a smart choice for Macy's, and somewhat of a hilarious joke for Apfel, who got her "It Girl" status late in life for a reason antithetical to the fashion industry: never changing.

Her pieces, all priced under $200, are for sale now, along with the other fashions shown. The full Fashion's Front Row show will air on E! on Thursday, Sept. 17 (8 p.m. ET) .