A Man of Boundless Imagination
Karl Lagerfeld is a name that will forever go down in history as one of the greatest creative minds to ever live. He was a man of many talents and wore many hats as a creative director, fashion designer, photographer, and artist. Lagerfeld is best-known for his position as the creative director for several fashion houses. In the following essay, we will explore his impact on the houses of Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel.
Early Life
Before he was an icon with his white ponytails and large black sunglasses, Karl Lagerfeld was just a small boy from Germany. Even though he consistently lied about his age, it is believed that Lagerfeld was born in 1933 in the Hamburg district of Blankensee.
From a young age, Lagerfeld proved to be talented and unique. He began drawing as a child, and had a passion for political caricatures. Lagerfeld also showed interest in fashion from the beginning. Unlike the other German boys, he had long hair, wore Austrian clothing and bow ties. Although he received criticism from his classmates, Lagerfeld refused to change himself for other people. He always believed he would one day be famous…maybe that was due in part to his strong sense of individual identity.[1]
Education and Training
Karl Lagerfeld claimed that he never received any kind of formal education. Rather, he said he self-trained his eye for beauty and art at Hamburg’s Kunsthalle Museum. Among his favorites were the paintings by Renoir, Manet, and Toulouse Lautrec. He fell in love with these French painters, which spawned into a love for everything French. In 1950, he attended the Christian Dior fashion show at the Hotel di Hamburg. Lagerfeld was mesmerized by Dior’s New Look, and he decided to move to Paris and become a fashion designer at age 17.
Lagerfeld finished his secondary schooling at the Lycée Montaigne in Paris, where he majored in drawing and history. By the time Karl was 20 years old, he started working under the direction of Pierre Balmain and Jean Patou. Here, he perfected his skills in designing. In 1953, Lagerfeld won first place in a competition by the International Wool Secretariat for a coat design. Ironically, third place was given to another young designer named Yves Saint Laurent for his cocktail dress. Yves and Karl became lifelong friends and competitors from then on…
In the early 1960s, Lagerfeld decided he wanted to move to Rome and study art history. While in Italy, he continued to work in the fashion industry by freelancing for major fashion houses like Chloé, Charles Jourdan, Krizia, and Valentino. By 1963, he was named the chief designer at Chloé.[2]
Chloé: 1963-1983 & 1992-1997
In 1952, the French fashion house Chloé was founded by Gaby Aghion. She was one of the first designers to create a luxury brand that offered ready-to-wear. Aghion named and modeled the brand after her friend who she thought “embodied the carefree attitude of the modern young woman at the time”. Chloé aimed to turn away from the uptight and conventional ways of haute couture in the 1950s, and became a popular brand that symbolized youth and femininity.[3]
In 1963, Aghion hired Lagerfeld and several other young talented designers to work under her direction and carried out her vision. The team experienced immense success with their creation of iconic designs such as the shirt-dress and the silk blouse, which became classic pieces of the Chloé wardrobe and personality. After a year with the brand, Lagerfeld designed the Tertulia dress for Spring-Summer 1966. The dress’s “hand painted art nouveau-inspired motifs set the tone for Chloé’s elegant take on bohemian chic”.[4]
Throughout the rest of the decade, Chloé continued to flourish thanks to the prolific talents of Lagerfeld. With pieces such silk trousers, he promoted the idea of “relaxed elegance, and established the on-going tension between the feminine and masculine” which is became engrained in the Chloé attitude.
In 1974, Chloé is left solely in hands of Lagerfeld as he is made the one and only designer for the brand. The 1970s was characterized by his “soft and flou silk dresses, which celebrate a feminine and carefree romanticism with delicate lace inserts”. One of the most notable of this designs is the Rachmaninoff dress made of graphic and geometrical prints in black and white, paired with a scarf tied around the head. This dress exemplifies the romantic and bohemian tone of the Chloé brand that still exists today. [5]
Another iconic design by Lagerfeld in the 1970s was the cape. He debuted the design in 1974, but continued to reinvent it each season throughout the decade. For example, the cape would be made of silk for the Spring/Summer and wool for the Fall/Winter. Lagerfeld felt that cape expressed a certain sense of freedom with its fluidity of movement—allowing women to look feminine while having the comfortability of masculine clothing.[6]
In the 1980s, there is a new era of fashion with designs that are vibrant, and runways become parties. Karl joined in the exciting air of the time by finding much inspiration in music. He designed the infamous Angkor dress which features broad shoulders, bright colors, and a large violin embroidered on the front. Spring-Summer 1984 was the last show of Lagerfeld’s after two decades with the Chloé fashion house. The most notable design from this collection was the Ciseaux dress, which featured an embroidered scissor—symbolizing the end of his time as a designer for the brand.
In 1992, Karl Lagerfeld returns to Chloé for a few years. During this time, he finds inspiration from several cultures, from classical to pop. He continues to create clothing that celebrates a “feminine and carefree romanticism”.
In his Spring-Summer 1994 collection, he creates delicate and charming pieces. One of the notable garments was a sheer tulle dresses with hand-painted patterns inspired by the ancient frescoes of Santorini, Greece.[7]Two years later, Lagerfeld changed the tone of the brand with his Spring Summer 1996 collection. He strayed away from his classically romantic and flowing designs, and transitions into a more playful attitude that coincides with the modern spirit of pop culture. Karl said the collection featured “modern romanticism” which is translated through sexy silhouettes accompanied by copper tones and bright shades of yellow, orange, and pink. Lagerfeld’s new designs were “brought to life by the famous 1990s supermodels whose larger-than-life personas defined this era”.[8]In 1997, Karl is replaced by the fresh new- talent of Stella McCartney.
Fendi: 1967-2019
In 1925, the Fendi fashion house is founded in Rome by Adele and Edoardo Fendi. The store featured leather goods and a secret fur workshop. As the shop became successful, their five daughters started to get involved. The family business was full of bright energy and youthful ideas. In 1965, the overwhelming success caused the daughters to bring in the help of a young German designer, Karl Lagerfeld. Some like to say that Karl was the hand, and the sisters were the five fingers. One of Karl’s first developments for Fendi was the creation of one of the company’s first logos, the famous black and brown double F.
During the 1960s and 1970s, fur garments were become less desirable and becoming seen as “old-fashioned” and “bourgeois”. Lagerfeld sought to make fur accessible for women of all social classes and disassociate the garment from the luxury connotations. He began experimenting with tanning methods, weight, finishes, colors, and patterns. By 1966, he launched a colorful fur coat that was seen as scandalous, since previous fur garments had only been available in natural colors. This didn’t stop Lagerfeld from continuing to work with furs because in 1969, Fendi introduced a collection of fur garments that featured rabbit, mole, and squirrel… a first in high fashion![9]
Lagerfeld revolutionized the art of fur, both artistically and technically. He changed the manner in which fur was worn “by fully reinterpreting it, [and] transforming it into a fashionable, soft, light item of clothing”.[10]His fur garments had eclectic inspirations such Eskimos, medieval armor, Japanese kimonos, and modern technology. Today, Fendi is still the only brand to have an “in-house fur atelier”.
Lagerfeld had a similar approach to designing leather goods. Just like fur, he sought to expand the manner in which the leather was treated in order to create “unusual colors” and “new designs”. Lagerfeld and one of the Fendi daughters collaborated to create the first “it bag”, also known as the infamous Baguette. As you may have already guessed by the name, the handbag was inspired by the shape of French bread. You may recall this bag from an episode of Sex and the City, or seen it on the arm of celebrities like Madonna, Julia Roberts, and Naomi Campbell. Over the years, the Baguette has been reinterpreted over 5,000 times in several different materials and styles, and continues to be a cult favorite today.
In 1977, Lagerfeld introduced a women’s ready-to-wear line known as “365- a dress for every day of the year, for a woman who wants her fur and purse to match her dress”. Accompanying the collection launch was a film called “Histoire d’Eau”. It was created by Karl and his friend Jacque de Bascher, and it’s considered the first fashion film ever.[11]The ready-to-wear collection succeeded and continued Fendi’s legacy of using fur in unique ways. Lagerfeld found ways of to combine fur with feathers, sequins, metals. His innovative designs were not the only thing that made his collections stand out. In 1993, Lagerfeld employed strippers and adult film stars to model a black and white collection he debuted at Milan Fashion Week. Anna Wintour was appalled by the show and walked out! Today, Fendi’s ready-to-wear has expanded in to menswear, shoes, eyewear, and fragrances. [12]
In 2015, Fendi branched out into the world of Haute Couture for the first time. Lagerfeld designed and presented his Haute Fourrure Collection in Paris. Once again, his designs:
“explored the most extraordinary ways of working with rare and precious furs, combining it with elaborate embroideries and breath-taking techniques including the herringbone method of Gheronatura, and the introduction of new techniques including the silver fur effect.”[13]
In 2016, the second Haute Couture collection for Fendi was revealed in a unique fashion show. A clear catwalk was placed over the flowing waters of the iconic Trevi Fountain in Rome. Models appeared to be gliding over the top of the water while wearing enchanting gowns and furs.[14]
Karl Lagerfeld was creative director of the brand for 54 years until his recent passing in January 2019. His final collection for Fendi was debuted at Milan Fashion Week in February 2019. To pay homage to the legendary designer, models sported high collars and low ponytails. Today, the iconic double F logo is now referred to as ‘Karligraphy’.[15]
Chanel: 1983-2019
Karl Lagerfeld’s name is nearly synonymous with the brand Chanel, but it wasn’t always that way. In 1983, Chanel invited Lagerfeld to become its creative director. At the time, he was already juggling his role as creative director for both Chloé and Fendi. Fashion critics begged Karl not join the house of Chanel and claimed that the brand was dead and outdated.
Fearlessly, Lagerfeld clapped back and said, “Chanel is the only couture house that I would be interested in updating. It’s the only one that could be modern. It’s a challenge. I like the idea.” [16]He then proceeded to exchange his position as creative director at Chloé for Chanel.
Gabrielle Chanel, also known as Coco, passed 10 years earlier. After her passing, the company focused on selling accessories and fragrances since those continued to bring in enough revenue to keep the brand afloat. Despite continuing to make couture lines, Chanel repeatedly seemed to be making copies of the late designer’s previous collections, with some minor changes. In addition, their ready-to-wear collections failed to make any kind of profit. [17]Thankfully, Karl saved Chanel from sinking.
One of the first things Karl did was redefine and restructure the heritage of Gabrielle Chanel. Within the Chanel DNA, there is something called the “Chanel uniform”. The term was coined in the 1920s when Gabrielle revolutionized women’s fashion by creating a basic and practical wardrobe. Karl realized that many vintage Chanel pieces look contemporary because of their simplicity. He wanted to ensure that the brand maintained its classic and timeless aesthetic by creating guidelines for the brand to follow in each collection: tweed, little black dress, two-tone ballerina shoes, pearls, and the 2.55 double flap bag. Lagerfeld didn’t want to change Chanel, he wanted to radically modernize.
Lagerfeld rejuvenated these basic pieces by pairing them with the unexpected—street culture. For example, he made grunge-styled garments from tweed. This combination proved to be a successful way to rebrand and revamp the brand. Karl famously said, “My job is not to do what she did, but what she would have done. The good thing about Chanel is it is an idea you can adapt to many things.”[18]
Another way Lagerfeld achieved this was by using the interlocked CC monogram in a myriad of ways. The monogram was originally created in the 1930s and used as a part of the clasp on handbags. Lagerfeld’s imagination transformed this symbol by making it a print for clothing, costume jewelry, and chain belts.[19]
Although you could endlessly discuss Lagerfeld’s ability to reinvent Chanel designs a million times over, he also managed to revive the Chanel runway through theatrical fashion shows. These elaborate spectacles costed a fortune, to which Lagerfeld replied, “For me, money is something you throw out the window, and then it comes back in through the door”. Primarily, these shows were done at the Grand Palais, but this Parisian monument would be nearly unrecognizable after Lagerfeld had transformed it into a stage for his collections. His boundless imagination resulted in several extravagant backdrops such as sandy beaches, snowy mountain chalets, cruise ships, and space ships. Some themes strived to mix the art of fashion with social and political statements. For example, one show featured a Chanel grocery store which was a commentary on Western consumerism, and another replicated a feminist protest in the streets in Paris. [20]
Thanks to Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel is considered a fashion powerhouse that leads the luxury fashion industry. After the passing of Chanel’s “Kaiser” (a nickname they for Karl), the brand has given the position of creative director to Virginie Viard, who worked closely with Lagerfeld for many years. In a public statement, Alain Wertheimer, the CEO of Chanel said:
“Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House of CHANEL’s success throughout the world. Today, not only have I lost a friend, but we have all lost an extraordinary creative mind to whom I gave carte blanche in the early 1980s to reinvent the brand.” [21]
Conclusion
Karl Lagerfeld was a force to be reckoned with. His creativity and imagination knew no bounds. Over the course of half a century, Lagerfeld was an innovator in the fashion industry. For many, being the creative director of several fashion houses would have been too large of task. Karl’s ability to do this and consistently launch great collections was rare, and almost mythological. Despite being one man, he managed to compartmentalize each fashion house and create unique pieces that fit the personality and heritage of each house. Lagerfeld will impact several generations of fashion designers to come.
[1]Biography.com Editors. “Karl Lagerfeld.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 18 Apr. 2019, http://www.biography.com/fashion-designer/karl-lagerfeld.
[2]“About the Man.” Karl Lagerfeld, http://www.karl.com/experience/en/biography/.
[3]Fenn , Dominique. “The History of Chloé.” Globalblue, 27 Nov. 2014, http://www.globalblue.com/destinations/france/paris/the-history-of-chloe.
[4]“Maison Chloé.” Chloé Official Website, http://www.chloe.com/experience/us/maison/.
[5]Bumpus, Jessica. “The Forgotten Past Of Some Of Fashion’s Biggest Names.” Vogue, British Vogue, 6 Feb. 2019, http://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-forgotten-past-of-fashions-biggest-names.
[6]Salter, Steve. “The Importance of Karl Largerfeld to Chloé.” I, VICE, 28 Feb. 2019, i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/59xjma/the-importance-of-karl-largerfeld-to-chloe.
[7]Grosso, Caroline. “French Fashion House Chloé Has a History of Turning Designers Into Superstars–Just Ask Karl Lagerfeld and Stella McCartney.” W Magazine, W Magazine, 17 Mar. 2017, http://www.wmagazine.com/gallery/chloe-fashion-designer-history/all.
[8]Fashion, 90S, director. Chloe Spring 1996 Collection. YouTube, YouTube, 10 Aug. 2015, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EnjZEuLbeb0.
[9]Reinach, Simona Segre. “Fendi.” LoveToKnow, LoveToKnow Corp, fashion-history.lovetoknow.com/fashion-clothing-industry/fashion-designers/fendi.
[10]“Fendi, High End Ready-to-Wear – Fashion & Leather Goods.” LVMH, LVMH, http://www.lvmh.com/houses/fashion-leather-goods/fendi/.
[11]Belverio, Glenn, et al. “Fendi in Rome, 1977. Apparently It’s the First Fashion Film in History. By Glenn Belverio.” A Shaded View on Fashion, 24 Dec. 2016, ashadedviewonfashion.com/2014/05/14/fendi-rome-1977-apparently-its-first-fashion-film-history-glenn-belverio/.
[12]Anderson, James, and Campbell Addy. “Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Fendi.” I, VICE, 27 Apr. 2018, i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/qvxqpb/everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-fendi.
[13]Judge, Lindsay. “The Textile History Of Fendi.” A&E Magazine, 11 Jan. 2018, aeworld.com/fashion/in-focus/the-textile-history-of-fendi-fur/.
[14]Martin, J.J. “Karl Lagerfeld Opens Up About His 50 Years with Fendi.” Harper’s BAZAAR, Harper’s BAZAAR, 5 Oct. 2017, http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a17910/karl-lagerfeld-fendi-collaboration/.
[15]Style, SCMP, director. Karl Lagerfeld’s Last Fendi Show at Milan Fashion Week 2019. YouTube, YouTube, 24 Feb. 2019, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-taLAcdSPyo.
[16]Weir, June. “THE DESIGNER WHO ‘DESTROYS THE PAST.’” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Aug. 1982, http://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/15/magazine/fashion-the-designer-who-destroys-the-past.html
[17]Stafyeva , Elena. “Why Chanel Would Cease to Exist Without Karl Lagerfeld .” Vintage Voyage, 22 Feb. 2019, vinvoy.com/blog/chanel-without-karl-lagerfeld/.
[18]Williams, Bre. “Karl Lagerfeld: How The Iconic Chanel Designer Changed The World of Fashion.” The Cheat Sheet, The Cheat Sheet, 19 Feb. 2019, http://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/karl-lagerfeld-how-the-iconic-chanel-designer-changed-the-world-of-fashion.html/.
[19]Andrew , Brittany. “How Karl Lagerfeld Saved Chanel.” Couture USA, 5 July 2016, coutureusa.com/blogs/news/how-karl-lagerfeld-saved-chanel/.
[20]Lang, Cady. “See Karl Lagerfeld’s Most Creative Chanel Fashion Shows.” Time, Time, 19 Feb. 2019, time.com/5532582/karl-lagerfeld-best-chanel-fashion-shows/
[21]Chanel Official . “Karl Lagerfeld.” CHANEL, 2019, http://www.chanel.com/us/fashion/karl-lagerfeld/.
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