"Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." All you need to know about the legendary designer
The leading fashion event of the year is just around the corner, and the theme is dedicated to the tribute to Karl Lagerfeld. Time to recall the defining moments of his biography.
Karl Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg, and his birthday has been a mystery. Lagerfeld hid his true age by giving people and interviewers different dates. Only years later, it became known that the designer's birthday was September 10, 1933.
More is known about his childhood: his father was a language enthusiast, and the future designer kept up: Karl Lagerfeld learned English, German, Italian, and French, which came in handy when he and his mother moved to Paris. The beginning of the designer's career took place there, in France, as he won the International Woolmark Prize with his sketch and got an invitation from Pierre Balmain to work at his fashion house. At this competition, he also met his future friend Yves Saint Laurent.
After working at Balmain, Lagerfeld became the art director for the haute couture lines at Jean Patou. Unfortunately, the collections received negative reviews, and after some time designer decided to move to Rome to study art history. Shortly after, he returned to Paris.
In 1964, Karl Lagerfeld began to work with the Parisian fashion house Chloé. His collections left no one indifferent; among those who admired Lagerfeld's designs were Brigitte Bardot, Jacqueline Kennedy and Grace Kelly.
Karl Lagerfeld started working with Fendi in 1965, and he completely transformed the brand's image and popularity. The designer changed the Fendi logo to two letters F for Fun Furs, which the brand still uses today.
Lagerfeld joined Chanel in 1983 and basically rescued it. After the death of Gabrielle Chanel, it was more than ten years before someone took her place. Although Karl Lagerfeld's first collection caused a big scandal: the clothes differed from what the brand usually represented, and they were too provocative and revealing, it brought the fashion house back to life.
In 1984, he founded his own brand - Karl Lagerfeld. Initially, it focused on creating premium men's clothing, but over time the line broadened to women's clothing, accessories and shoes.
The incredible genius who worked with three brands at once was not just a fashion designer. Karl Lagerfeld was also a photographer, illustrator, publisher and a big cat-lover. Of course, it's impossible not to mention his cat, Choupette, who was officially invited to the Met Gala and to whom he left all his fortune.
Karl Lagerfeld is one of the most influential figures in the fashion industry. So this year's Met Gala promises to be very special and exciting. We expect a lot of vintage Fendi, Chanel, Jean Patou and Chloé and the most unique and eye-catching looks from the designer's many muses: Cara Delevingne, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Natalia Vodianova, Devon Aoki and Lily-Rose Depp.
