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In honour of Karl Lagerfeld: new homages to the fashion legend of Chanel and Fendi fame, from the Met retrospective and a biography, to an upcoming biopic starring Jared Leto and a Disney+ series

STORYVincenzo La Torre
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld had worked with multiple brands during his life, including Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and Patou. Photo: Getty Images
It’s been more than four years since the legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld passed away.

This month a fitting tribute arrives as The Costume Institute at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York opens “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, an exhibition showcasing more than 150 garments designed by the Chanel and Fendi creative director – alongside accompanying sketches that show how the maestro’s mind ticked.

Maestro Karl Lagerfeld working on design sketches. Photo: Trunk Archive

Although the show touches on Lagerfeld’s early days as a design assistant at Balmain and artistic director of Patou, and also his work for French label Chloé, it is not a traditional retrospective but was conceived as a “thematic and conceptual essay”.

Outfits, drawings and videos will show his incredible output for Chanel and Fendi, and also the various influences colouring his work, which range across art, film, music and design, to literature and philosophy.

Karl Lagerfeld’s sketch for a Chanel dress, spring/summer 2019. Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, the exhibition opens on the heels of Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld, a just released biography of the couturier by fashion journalist William Middleton.

From his early childhood in Germany to his weight fluctuations and love for his cat, Choupette, the book is full of details that flesh out a life of drama and glamour.

Fashion journalist William Middleton just released a biography of the couturier titled Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld. Photo: Handout

“I don’t think the history of Karl is the most interesting part,” Middleton said in an interview with trade publication Women’s Wear Daily. “There are some elements of his past that are interesting. But it’s really what he turned himself into that’s so fascinating.”

A look from the Chanel show at Couture Fashion Week in Paris, France, in July 2014. Photo: WireImage
Hollywood is also getting in on the action. The enigmatic and iconic designer will be the subject of a biopic led by American actor Jared Leto and a Disney+ series starring German actor Daniel Brühl.

Visitors to New York can check out “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” until July 16.

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Fashion
  • The Met in New York opens exhibition ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ to pay tribute to the late maestro, showcasing more than 150 garments of his designs, on view until July 16
  • He’s also the subject of a biopic led by Jared Leto and a Disney+ series starring German actor Daniel Brühl – and fashion journalist William Middleton just released a biography of the couturier, too