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

May 3 , 2023

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld had worked with multiple brands during his life, including Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and Patou. Photo: Getty Images

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

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

Fame and celebrity

Celebrity style

Luxury brands

Chanel

Fendi

Art

Books and literature

Jared Leto

Vincenzo La Torre

Formerly the fashion editor of the South China Morning Post, Vincenzo La Torre is the chief editor of Style, the South China Morning Post’s luxury monthly publication. Born and raised in Italy, Vincenzo started his career in journalism after graduating from Columbia University in New York, where he studied East Asian Languages and Cultures with a focus on Japanese and Chinese art. He has previously worked for Vogue Japan in Tokyo, Harper's Bazaar in Singapore and Prestige in Hong Kong. Before joining the Post as fashion editor in 2017, Vincenzo was a member of the launch team of Vogue Arabia in Dubai. He covers topics such as jewellery, watches, luxury, beauty, celebrity, entertainment and lifestyle, and has interviewed some of the most influential designers and CEOs in the luxury industry. Vincenzo speaks Italian, French, Japanese and Mandarin, and is a regular at high-profile events such as fashion week in Milan and Paris.

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