Met Gala 2023’s much talked about theme Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, pays tribute to the fashion legend, and it will run from May 5 to July 16, celebrating the famed German designer’s contributions to fashion. It includes 150 garments, along with sketches, from Karl Lagerfeld’s 65-year career spanning across Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel, as well as his label.
On Monday, May 1, many celebrities joined hosts Penelope Cruz, Dua Lipa, Michaela Coel, and Roger Federer for the Met Gala 2023, all dressed “in honor of Karl.” However, it is known that Karl didn’t approve of fashion exhibitions. He believed that ‘fashion belongs in the street and not on mannequins.’
“I often imagine him seeing us from above, perhaps even mocking us for honoring his life’s work in a museum,” said former supermodel Carla Bruni. “Something we all knew he would scoff at!”
Karl Lagerfeld won the prestigious Woolmark Prize at the age of 21
Lagerfeld was born September 10, 1933, in Hamburg, Germany. He was the son of a businessman and He wasn’t like most boys in the provincial capital. He preferred sketching over sports from a young age. Lagerfeld also avoided anything that could hurt his hands and especially favored suits and bow ties.
According to William Middleton’s Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld, Karl asked his parents for his own valet at the age of 4. He also insisted to have his clothes ready so he can change any time of the day. He often changed his clothes four times a day, as per The New York Post.
His childhood peculiarities led him to the fashion capital Paris, where he studied fashion illustrations. In 1954, Karl won the prestigious Woolmark Prize for a sketch of a coat at the age of 21. This set off his career and eventually landed him a job at couture house Balmain. A reproduction of that coat is available in the Met’s showcase.
However, Karl Lagerfeld soon felt disinterested in the French labels Balmain and then Patou.
“He was working at a traditional couture house and didn’t find the excitement of the early 60s in his position,” Middleton shared with The Post. “So he left to go on his own, and it began the whole idea of a freelance designer.”
He joined the Parisian label Chloé in 1964, where he expressed his witty imagination with collections inspired by Surrealism, and Art Nouveau.
A year later, Karl Lagerfeld joined Fendi. The label was mainly well-known for its furs and bags and he turned the house into a high-fashion brand. The audience can note this period in his first collection, The Abominable Snow Woman. In the combined apricot and gray mink, chinchilla, and fox furs create coatdresses, minis, and even a jumpsuit.
Karl Lagerfeld’s collaboration with Fendi lasted for 54 years. During which he produced many notable fur pieces by dipping them in 22-karat gold and shaping it into Elizabeth ruffs and puffed sleeves. Additionally, use furs for sporty bomber jackets.
“It was the same for Chanel,” stylist and writer Mosha Lundström Halbert shared. “Karl never lost interest in tweed, camellias, chains, and pearls. He was continually approaching a rather limited set of parameters with limitless creative expression.”
The German fashion legend joined Chanel in 1983
Karl Lagerfeld shortened Chanel’s tweed skirt suits and loaded them up with gold chains. He put ripped jeans and bikini tops with the double-C logo on the runway.
Moreover, he took inspiration from hip-hop and the high street. It is notable in his Spring 1996 collection that was inspired by the Gap, as per Lundström Halbert. Karl also took inspiration from Renaissance art and the Court of Versailles.
Many top models walked his shows such as Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Kate Moss, and Devon Aoki. According to The Post, Chanel got so big under Karl Lagerfeld that he began to overshadow the label’s founder Coco Chanel.
In 2001, he made news for shedding 92 pounds to fit into the new slim Dior Homme suits. Following this he also published a diet book about it. He further partnered with H&M and featured in the brand’s ads similar to celebrities. He also designed a bottle of Diet Coke, which was his favorite beverage.
His shows for Chanel were also known for being absurdly lavish. Their Fall 2010 show featured a 265-ton and 30-foot big iceberg imported from Sweden. Their Fall of 2017 ended with a Chanel rocketship taking flight. It is also known that his cat, Choupette, had two maids.
However, his brand, Karl Lagerfeld, didn’t reach the same heights on the fashion front and yet he is known for changing the way fashion works. “Lagerfeld created the blueprint of how to modernize a French label,” fashion historian Bronwyn Cosgrave summarized Karl’s contributions.
You can also share any questions you have about Met Gala 2023 and Karl Lagerfeld. Until then, stay with us here at Spiel Times for more content.
Make sure you share, subscribe to our push notifications, and never miss an update from the world of video games, cinema, and sports. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @spieltimes for the latest updates.
Don’t forget to check out more of our original content from the list below:
Jennifer Aniston has dinner with ex-husband | Kim Kardashian’s lookalike dies | Man climbs news tower in California | Chucky Season 3 | Barbie with Down syndrome | Nate Diaz chokes person during brawl | World Penguin Day | JK Rowling mocks boycotters | Pete Davidson pushes fan | Lizzo performs with Drag artist | Zendaya performs at Coachella | Ashley Graham as World’s Sexiest Woman