Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel may represent the most famous partnership in fashion, but that doesn’t mean Lagerfeld rests on his reputation. His design aesthetic goes way beyond fashion, and his artistry is on display in every project he touches. While quoted as saying, “I don’t make art; I make dresses,” to those of us that admire him and his genius, make no mistake about it … he makes art.
Lagerfeld doesn’t play by the rules of fashion; he makes them. He continually challenges his creative genius and refuses to accept the status quo. He did it in literature with the book Karl Lagerfeld: Metamorphoses of an American – which I will probably soon add to my reading list – and he continuously does it the haute-couture world. Take last fall’s fashion show, for instance.
Turning the Grand Palais into a bustling casino to stage the unveiling of his latest fashion line couldn’t have been an easy feat. Known for his elaborate and creative sets, the 2015 Fall Fashion Week ended on a high note when Lagerfeld provided a stunning, fashion-forward look into trends that would bring us into the new year.
Lagerfeld’s vision was on full display while transporting his guests to the glamorous era of the French Riviera from days past. It was easy to get lost in the atmosphere and feel as if you were magically transported inside the Casino Monte Carlo on the famed Cote d’Azur. The casino which opened in 1868 by famed one of the famed Blanc brothers, Francois Blanc – later nicknamed “The Magician of Monte Carlo” – is the setting of many glamorous gambling scenes in Hollywood movies and seemed to be just the right inspiration to help bring Lagerfeld’s creative vision to life.
The atmosphere, and, of course, the fashion, transformed the iconic landmark into an interactive environment where celebrities and high-society were afforded an up close and personal look at the latest from the fashion icon. There were live casino table games littered around the floor which provided an air of elegance as the models weaved through them to display the fashions as the crowd waited in anticipation. The makeup was elegant, and when you Buy Good Beauty Products, it shows. The Roulette table took the spotlight when instead of sitting in the front row, stars like Julianne Moore, Lara Stone, Kristen Stewart and Lily-Rose Depp opened the show by entering the casino and taking their place placing bets at the table.
Using a casino as a stage should come as no surprise since Lagerfeld is partnering with a Macau casino operator to open his first hotel. The 270-room Karl Lagerfeld Hotel is scheduled to open in 2017 in the gambling capital of Asia. “An entire hotel designed by me. It’s the first time for me. I think the idea is great,” said Lagerfeld in a statement. Housed in The Lisboa Palace complex in Macau’s Cotai neighborhood, the designer’s hotel will be surrounded by casinos, restaurants and plenty of couture shopping.
The appearance of Kristen Stewart also seemed well-planned because she recently starred as Coco Chanel in Once and Forever, a film directed by Lagerfeld. In his latest artistic venture outside of the fashion world, the 11-minute short film took a look at a young and older Coco Chanel through the eyes of the actresses that played her.
Fast forward to spring 2016 New York Fashion Week and Kristen Stewart has been named the face of the summer/spring Chanel makeup ad campaigns and Lagerfeld once again takes his fashion to a creatively designed set inside the Grand Palais.
A Chanel-themed airport terminal was the perfect backdrop to highlight his art and once again transport his guests to a past era with a bit of nostalgia for the days when people dressed for travel as if it were an event and not just a means of getting somewhere. Lagerfeld was quoted as saying, “It’s the idea of how it should look!”
Rolling their Chanel suitcases down the runway, the models sported patterns reminiscent of seat cushions, and airplane-shaped accessories. Lagerfeld also included many modern touches like Teva sandals and backward baseball hats. Women’s Wear Daily said, “It made for one big, madcap fantasy — but for the clothes, which were very real, and fabulously so.”
Source: LATimes.com
It would be hard to find anyone in the fashion industry busier than Lagerfeld. He currently designs for Chanel, Fendi and his self-titled line – which, let me remind you, if you follow my special tips, you can often buy at a fraction of their retail price .
Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, a fashion icon herself, says of Lagerfeld, “Karl is not only one of our greatest and most prolific designers. He is also a linguist, a photographer, an interior decorator, a collector, a filmmaker, an artist and a philanthropist, and that doesn’t even fully cover it.” He says of himself, “I’m very much down to earth, just not this earth.”
At 82-years young, it’s the fast-paced fashion industry that has worked to keep up with Lagerfeld, not the other way around. Some might think Lagerfeld is spread too thin, but it certainly doesn’t show in his work. He credits his boundless energy with surrounding himself with “plenty of young people.” All you have to do is look at pictures of Lagerfeld from any fashion magazine, and you will notice him surrounded by young, talented creatives and rarely see him with peers his age. That philosophy might explain his decision to appear with some of his designs in Kim Kardashian West’s animated mobile game.
Lagerfeld is often dismayed by the casual nature of today’s fashion and always strives to elevate the current landscape to bring a touch of glamour back into our daily lives. The one thing that remains constant in everything Lagerfeld does is taking the classic Chanel look and using it to influence modern-day trends. Whether in a casino or an airport terminal, he’ll never abandon his belief that there is a place for old-glamour in today’s new world. One thing everyone can agree on is no one can do it quite like him.
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