Editor’s Note: Every quarter at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, students of various majors are challenged to focus on a famous design or designer to assess its historical impact on culture and the design community in a class called History of Design. In the report below, FIDM Graphic Design Student Hyeyeon ‘Hailey’ Kim reports on life and career of prolific fashion mogul Karl Lagerfeld.
Designer Report: Karl Lagerfeld by Hailey Kim
For my designer report, I have chosen Karl Lagerfeld, who is a German fashion designer based in Paris. He is an iconic, global fashion designer with his great fashion sensibility and trademarks: white ponytail hair, dark sunglasses, leather globes and fashionable style. He is currently a creative director and head designer of fashion house Chanel, Fendi and his own brand. I believe it will be a lot of works because he also designed other products like Coca Cola Diet cover design, wrote his own book, and took photos for fashion shoots. Even if I just imagine, holding down a job at one place and running another job at other places will be hard. I am personally very impressed because even though he does some various works but he can focuses on his main position, a fashion designer.
Before becoming a best fashion designer like present, he worked different places with different people. Vogue magazine says that Karl is the master of reinvention, having repeatedly transformed himself as well as his labels. He has previously designed for Chloe and created a range for H&M. Karl Otto Lagerfeldt was born in 1933 to a wealthy German businessman father and Swedish mother in pre-war Germany. Lagerfeld changed his original surname from Lagerfeldt, removing the ‘t’ because – as he wrote in his book, The Karl Lagerfeld Diet – it sounded “more commercial”. Initially educated at St Anne’s School, following his family’s emigration to France Lagerfeld finished his education at Lycée Montaigne, focusing on drawing and history. In 1955, he worked at Pierre Balmain after winning a competition before working at Jean Patou, Krizia, Charles Jourdan and Valentino. In 1967, Lagerfeld joined Fendi, then Chloe the following decade.
Vogue magazine also says that he joined Chanel in 1983, only a decade after Coco Chanel died and only five years after the label’s first ready-to-wear collection. In 1984, he launched his own name Karl Lagerfeld label which, he said, would channel “intellectual sexiness”. By 1977, Vogue crowned Lagerfeld “unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment”. Lagerfeld is famous for having lost a lot of weight and brining out a diet boo, The Karl Lagerfeld Diet. He lost 90lbs on a diet and said “I think that fashion is the healthiest motivation for losing weight.” In 2005, Lagerfeld sold his own brand (Lagerfeld gallery and Lagerfeld), to Tommy Hilfiger, but maintained full design involvement. I definitely think Lagerfeld is one of truly iconic designers in the world and I respect his passion for fashion. Doing same work for almost 60years is impossible if the person does not love his/her job.
Although he did various works like fashion design, including clothing, shoes, bags and fragrances, Coca Cola Diet coves, publishing, directing film, photo shoots and a lot of collaborations, he is definitely best known for fashion design. He did a lot of famous designs and many of them got incredibly popular. In addition, he makes Chanel designs, Fendi designs and also his own brand’s designs, so there are a ton of designs of Karl Lagerfeld. For example, I know he made Chanel Classic Bag that is world widely famous with CC logo, Chanel Boy Bag that is also very popular collection Karl made, and Chanel Lego clutch. He made a lot and they all became iconic designs. Karl is an Icon in fashion world like no other and he has his own style. Throughout this report, I will talk about his 8 remarkable designs except some of the Chanel designs I have already discussed about on my design report.
The first design I want to discuss about is KL Incense that is the Ice Cream Pumps Karl Lagerfeld designed for the collaboration with Melissa. The Incense + Karl Lagerfeld came out adorable and took center stage. It has various colors like black with purple ice cream, white with pink ice cream, white with bright yellow ice cream, and so on. The design itself is very eye-catching, lovely, unique, and fresh. Karl Lagerfeld says, “My inspiration was the native country of the brand, celebrating the Brazilian joie de vivre. The best way to know the country is to work with people from that country. I know little about Brazil so it’s a great opportunity!” (melissaaustralia.com)
Melissa has Melissa Australia and Melissa Brazil and the one Karl Lagerfeld was collaborating is Melissa Brazil. They make stylish, fashion-forward plastic shoes and they have collaborated with some famous designers. In 2013, Karl made a collection for Melissa and the outstanding design was the KL Incense to me. The shoes are very simple and normal but heels are ice cream with a corn shape. I think it really fits to the image of Melissa and shows Karl’s sensibility. The ice cream part is sparkling and naturally having a circle shape and the corn part is showing the triangular shape like the real ice cream corn with details in texture. Karl Lagerfeld put “Melissa” on the ice cream corn as well.
Melissa webpage also mentions that Karl Lagerfeld is known to those in the industry as Godfather of fashion and is a legend in his own time. His trademark look – ponytail and dark sunglasses – is just as notorious as his work. Lagerfeld’s fashion career spans over many decades and can be linked to an extraordinary list of fashion houses including Chloe, Fendi, Max Mara, Valentino, and Chanel. Visionary, iconic, and eclectic, Karl Lagerfeld embodies all the characteristics to make a perfect Melissa collaborator and was invited to design a capsule collection for the brand in 2013. His ability capture, interpret and anticipate tomorrow’s trends is always fascinating and we cannot wait to see what elements he brings to his future designs for Melissa. (melissaaustralia.com) A lot of celebrities and people wear his Incense shoes because they all know Karl’s design is unique and iconic. People who love unique shoes design, they will definitely love Karl’s Incense shoes because it is just heels but it has ice cream shape on it. Also, somehow the heels look pretty comfortable with the ice cream corn shape because it is not that thin and very balanced. Therefore, I think it works both in design and function.
The second design of Karl Lagerfeld is Chanel Hula Hoop Beach Bag that was on the Chanel Spring 2013 Runway show. As you can see the image, this handle is a huge circle like hula-hoop and the bag is actually the half of circle. The design is absolutely unique and extraordinary. When I first saw this bag, I didn’t realize that it is a bag because it is not only huge, but also a circle shape so it looks kind of uncomfortable. So, at first, I was thinking, “What is this bag for? Does it work?”
Vogue News mentioned that Karl Lagerfeld has explained the inspiration behind that Chanel Hula Hoop bag seen in the spring/summer 2013 show – and you might be surprised at its intended purpose. The circular design was the talk of Lagerfeld’s latest collection for the French fashion house – almost threatening to upstage those enormous wind turbines flanking the catwalk. “It’s for the beach,” Lagerfeld told the Daily Telegraph post-show. “You need space for the beach towel. And then you can put it into the sand and hang things on it.” (vogue.co.uk)
The idea is clever but the big problem that people usually think easily is, “who is going to use Chanel bag for beach bag?” Maybe this design works with nice circle shape and modern looking but the function is not really great. But I believe it depends on how people think and wear. If some people love the design and they can bring this bag to the beach, it will perfectly work because they would think the same thoughts with Karl Lagerfeld. Maybe some people can’t afford it so they think it is just like a display model. In my opinion, I would bring that huge hula hoop bag to the beach if I can get it and I think the idea is awesome because when I go to the beach, I always wanted the bag huge so I can put everything into it. For the size, they also have a small size so it doesn’t have to be a beach bag always. It can be an edgy, stylish, modern and unique bag with the extraordinary design. Like all Karl Lagerfeld’s designs, this hula-hoop beach bag is very “Karlish” because he always thinks differently and he actually makes something incredible.
The third design of Karl Lagerfeld is Chanel Spring/Summer 2014 Haute Couture collection. According to Natasha Fraser-Cavassoni of Chanel News who has interviewed Karl Lagerfeld, After the Spring-Summer 2014 Haute Couture show, Karl Lagerfeld brings up in his interview his motivations to shake up the codes of Couture with this collection where short jackets, long dresses and sneakers are worn together. She adds, “He explains, “In the history of fashion, around 1800 to 1840 or 1845, women had flat shoes. Even with a ball gown, they had flat shoes. It gives a new, modern attitude to Couture. The flexibility between the skirt, the top and the waist means you can move. It is not one stiff piece. Then it would be démodé.” For Karl Lagerfeld, “What is better about Couture than the feeling of now? Paradise now.”
His collection came out very urban and modern even if he was inspired by 1800s fashion trend. For the show, the models didn’t even wear jewelries or accessories at all and I know it was his purpose. He definitely wanted to make the collection different from others not only the design but also the show. All the designs are pretty much white, silver, black, some toned down colors, and light patterns. I have never thought Chanel dresses can be matched with sneakers but Karl made it. Jessica Michault of Now Fashion Online Magazine says, “Karl Lagerfeld had given the ultimate urban accessory – sneakers – the couture treatment. Models skipped, hopped, and spun along the catwalk with an infectious joie de verve that had a youthful freshness to it. Their techno tweed and lace trainers, sometimes shimmering with sequins or tricked out in pearls, serving them well as they pranced about in front of a delighted audience.”
The contemporary version of 80s fashion style gives me a realization: trends come again. His focus on a corseted midriff, its leitmotif hourglass shape accentuated by rounded crop sleeved tops and curvy short skirts, also smartly accented the athletic energy of the collection. All the lines, shapes, balance, textures, and patterns make a harmony throughout the collection. I think his motivation worked very well by smartly mixing up an old style fashion with a modern style and using key elements to show the new urban look. Karl Lagerfeld makes everything iconic and edgy. The overall designs of spring/summer 2014 Haute Couture collection came out very beautiful but they also look comfortable matching with sneakers. I definitely think this collection works both in design and function.
For the fourth design, I chose The Karl Lagerfeld’s design for Fossil, Karl Zip watch. According to Kate Doherty of WatchPro blog, “Karl Zip was the winner of Fashion Watch of the year in the WatchPro watches of the year 2013,” She says, “The moment of Fossil Group teamed up with iconic fashion designer and Chanel artistic director Karl Lagerfeld to launch a range of watches, they had this fashion watch category in the bag.” Karl Lagerfeld has launched 7 different styles of watches on his own brand but I chose Karl Zip because I thought the Karl Zip was the most interesting and stylish watch ever. It looks like a bracelet but it actually has a watch inside.
Doherty mentioned that this half bracelet, half watch’s style is edgy, making it the obvious choice for fashion-forward wearers. The unisex watch is made of three leather straps held together by working zips alongside a pallet of nine stud, with the central stud swapped out for a small watch face. The zip element allows the wearer to determine the thickness of the watchstrap by unzipping some of the leather straps. Not only is it a fashion statement of a watch but also the fact the wearer can personalize the style in which it is worn has already made the Karl Zip a fashion-pack favorite. (watchpro.com) The Karl Zip model embodies everything that is Karl Lagerfeld with irreverent design and enduring appeal. It looks like a bracelet but if you see close, it is a watch. With this model that has colors like black, silver and black with studs, I can feel “Karl” and even the design is very modern, kind of bold and stylish like “Karl”.
I totally love this design especially because I don’t like to wear watches but like to wear bracelets and this watch can solve that problem. Even if I need a watch sometimes, I just don’t like to wear the leather or chain watches because I am not used to it. But if the watch is like Karl Zip, I can wear it because I love bracelets and this watch look more like a bracelet than a watch but really it has two functions at once. I bet people like me will love this watch and obviously the design is cool, edgy and stylish. In addition, I love the way I can use it. It has three straps but I can take off one or two straps depending on my outfit and style. The idea is really clever because people can wear it differently from others even though it is a same watch and they can wear it in three different ways with a watch. I think it is a great design.
The fifth design I have chosen is another model of Karl Lagerfeld’s watch for Fossil, Karl 7 Watch. This chic, iconic knockout highlights Karl Lagerfeld’s lucky number seven. If you see this Karl 7 watch image, lucky seven is the only Roman numeral displayed on an edgy framed with faceted metals studs. A crown etched with the Karl Lagerfeld’s profile coolly finishes the statement-making silhouette. According to Lauren Levinson of Elle magazine, “We received a special sneak peek of the Karl 7 watch, which was named after his favorite digit – and a lucky number it is! The sleek time piece is surrounded by a beveled top ring. Karl Lagerfeld said, “You cannot buy time but you can get a beautiful watch to measure time without spending a fortune.” (elle.com)
The Karl 7 is definitely showing Karl’s style and sensibility. It is very black, silver and white, it has studs and it has Karl Lagerfeld’s well-known silhouette icon as a logo. The modern looking watch has a circular shape and studs shapes on the frame and also inside the frame instead of numbers. All other numerals are studs, but then only number 7 is Roman numeral as the name of this watch is “Karl 7.” From the front view, those studs rounded frame and studs for all other numbers except 7 have same circular shapes. It gives kind of rhythm and balance because they have same studs shapes and same circle shapes. It looks like the frame has bigger studs than the studs for numbers so it is showing scale too.
In addition, only the lucky seven is Roman numeral, that seven has an emphasis. I think it is a clever idea to use emphasis on one number because most of watches have all numbers from 1 to 12 or they have no numbers at all but this Karl 7 has nothing but only lucky seven in numeral. The overall design came out very modern and edgy with geometric shapes, luxurious color matching and small details. I love the idea of putting Karl’s silhouette on a crown. If you see the side view, Karl’s etched silhouette logo is showing on a crown and I feel his sensibility.
The sixth design I have chosen is a Monster Choupette collection 2014 of Karl Lagerfeld. Choupette is Karl’s pet cat and she is used as a theme of his design. I think it is clever to make something special to me as an icon of my design because it is worth it. It can be a pet like Choupette, lover, family, friend, or it can be myself. For this collection, he made her like a cartoon character with some details. Choupette has a leather cat collar with studs showing she is definitely Karl’s cat and has rouge lips showing the cat is female. On Karl Lagerfeld’s website, it says, “There’s no end to surprises when it comes to Choupette. The charming little cat has now got a range of accessories in her image – well, in the image of a “cartoon” Monster Choupette who will delight fans with big blue eyes and ready-to-to-grab mouth. Choupette-addicts will have the choice between a shopping bag, two sizes of pouch and a wallet, all in Saffiano leather.” (karl.com)
Monster Choupette pouches have two different styles. They both have the same Choupette face on a similar position but the one has one zipper and much simpler and the other has two zippers with a chain. Most of Karl Lagerfeld designs are edgy, simple, bold, stylish and modern. This Monster Choupette collection could be seen differently because it is obviously cat cartoonish design and adorable but I think it still shows Karl’s style. Although these pouches have a Choupette face that makes them lovely but the pouches themselves are very modern and simple. The linear lines and shapes, simply embedded logo, clean stiches, nice leather, and even Choupette’s collar make the pouches “Karlish”. In addition, Choupette will reprise her role as designer’s muse for a sophomore line of Karl Lagerfeld totes, sweaters, and accessories. I love the idea of using his own pet as a whole theme of his collection and it worked very well.
The seventh design of Karl Lagerfeld is Chanel Limited Edition Karl Lagerfeld Sketches Classic Flap bag. As I heard before, it is an extremely rare, breathtaking and stunning one. It is one Chanel handbag that beautifully entwines both the past and present, while showcasing the talents of both designers. The black and white fashion sketch print on canvas feels very different from the original 2.55 Double Flap bag that is quilted leather solid color bag. This Karl Lagerfeld sketch bag is very hard to find over the world because limited production run of this design makes this piece perfect for collectors Chanel enthusiast or fashion aficionados.
I think the sketch is a combination of various fashion sketches he drew thinking the fashion house Chanel. All women in his sketches have similar face and body shape but different poses and clothes. Those sketches are made up with pretty thin and curved lines and they feel natural because they are kind of rough. This bag somehow feels both vintage and modern at the same time. The sketch style and Coco Chanel feeling models are giving some vintage feeling but the black and white color combination and the fashion styles give some modern and chic feeling. It shows Karl Lagerfeld’s personality but it shows Coco Chanel feeling as well.
In addition, Karl Lagerfeld is already very well known for his fashion sketches and he said he doesn’t even smoke because he has to sketch. On the interview with Elle magazine, Karl said, “I’ve never smoked. I don’t drink. I don’t even drink coffee. I don’t like to smoke. I have nothing against other people smoking. If you want to smoke, you go ahead. But for me, I need my hands for sketching. I have no time for a cigarette! Then I have no time for alcohol, because I fall asleep instantly.” He loves his job and sketches so he seriously takes care of himself. I love the way he thinks and I have no doubt that he is professional designer and his passion for fashion has led him to his current position.
The last design I have chosen is Karl Lagerfeld’s Fendi Spring/Summer 2015 Ready-to-wear Collection. Sarah Harris of Vogue magazine says that certainly there was a rigorous line to those mini black dresses with asymmetrical swooshes, but this was an offering that felt young and, at times, playful. Back to orchid motif – it popped up repeatedly from the get-go, embroidered across dresses, laser cut into leather and meticulously worked into black fur bomber jackets. Precious skins (note too those big twisted bangles clad in crocodile and stacked in multiples) and savoire-faire is what this house is known for. That came to the fore in suede jackets that had middle sections razor- sliced into ribbons and glazed in glossy white varnish. Denim is shaping up to be a big spring story and it appeared again here this afternoon. In the shape of jodhpurs or slouchy tracksuit trousers complete with matching shirt and abbreviated jacket. (vogue.co.uk)
The designs I have chosen are just a part of the collection but they still show the style of this collection. I love those colors like black, white, navy, blue and gray that give modern feeling. The first dress with a blue leaf shape pattern feels playful and iconic. The pattern is playful and the dress design is very simple so it balanced out very nice. The other designs with black, white, and gray color showing a thick line shape in the middle are very urban, edgy and stylish as well. Baggy pants, tops and skirts are perfectly matching with the overall simple, appealing design. The design shows glossy texture on it and those cutting parts look so stylish. He makes incredible designs and they all become iconic designs.
Karl Lagerfeld made so many iconic designs and I only chose 8 of them but I can kind of see Karl’s modern, edgy, unique and iconic style from all those designs. Even though Karl Lagerfeld is currently a head designer and creative director in three different fashion houses, Chanel, Fendi and his own brand Karl Lagerfeld, he shows “Karl” in different ways. Those three brands have different styles but he puts his sensibility on all three houses so that people can think, “it is Karl”. It will be difficult showing myself in all different three ways but at the same time I think it is very appealing. He is very good at it and I believe that’s why he could remain his positions at all those fashion houses. But definitely he shows his personality more at his own brand because Chanel and Fendi have their styles too.
An incredible, clever and amazing idea of design can be from everywhere. But, thinking different from others is the hardest part I think. Karl Lagerfeld could be a world’s famous, global fashion designer because he thinks different, has his special sensibility, loves fashion, shows fascinating ideas through his designs and takes good care of himself. Also, he has been a fashion designer for about 60 years so even though he likes modern, sleek designs, he loves to mix them with old style and makes a wonderful combination. Seeing his designs, I feel he gets some inspirations from movement like Art Deco the most. I respect his professional mind towards fashion and his confidence of himself. Karl Lagerfeld is a fascinating fashion designer.
Works Cited
Chanel News. Interview. Web.
http://www.chanel-new.chanel.com
Elle Magazine. Web.
http://www.elle.com
Elle magazine. April 2014 Issue.
Elle Magazine. March 2014 Issue. Interview.
Karl Lagerfeld Official Website. Web.
http://www.karl.com
Melissa Official Website. Web.
http://www.melissaaustrailia.com
Vogue Magazine. September 2014 Issue.
Vogue Magazine. October 2012. Web.
http://www.vogue.co.uk
WatchPro Blog. Web.
http://www.watchpro.com
Written & Designed by FIDM Student Hyeyeon ‘Hailey’ Kim’
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