Remembering Karl Lagerfeld: A Look Into His Creative Mind and Accomplishments
Karl Lagerfeld self-portrait. Photo credit: Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld was a prolific designer, artist, photographer, and writer best known for his work at high-profile fashion labels, Chanel and Fendi, as well as his namesake brand. He died on February 19th, 2019, after innovating the fashion industry for the past 60 years.
Largerfeld was, without a doubt, a marketing expert. Not only did he reinvent the dying Chanel house to become perhaps the most prestigious label to this day, but he also saved the so-called boring Fendi with the famed "Fun Fur" concept, collections, and double 'F' logo.
Career accomplishments aside, perhaps his greatest marketing genius was his own brand. No, not Karl Lagerfeld the fashion label, but Karl Lagerfeld the man. Never to be seen without his personal uniform of dark sunglasses, a ponytail, high-collared shirt, and fingerless gloves; Lagerfeld was the face—the revered caricature—of a whole era of luxury fashion. His success was undoubtedly his own with inherent creativity, sharp wit, and an even sharper tongue.
When listening to him speak, it's easy to think that Lagerfeld was first and foremost an intellectual, but that certainly doesn't negate his profoundly artistic approach to life. When taken up, his pen served as an extension of his arm: moving fluidly and constantly, realizing onto paper detailed sketch after detailed sketch.
As an avid reader and polyglot, his mind seemed encyclopedic; however, despite his obvious intellect, Lagerfeld would argue that he was primarily a creative. He was quoted by Manual Arnaut for Vogue Arabia saying,
"I don't just decide to be creative, but it is like breathing to me…There are some people who are afraid of the white page, afraid of starting a new project, but not me."
Lagerfeld dreamed of being an artist at a young age, and, at 14, left his family home in Germany to study drawing and history in Paris. Upon graduation, it didn't take long for his career in fashion to take off.
In 1967, after working with multiple prominent labels, notably Balmain and Chloe, Karl Lagerfeld was recruited to be the creative director for Fendi, a role which would last strong until his passing. He redesigned fur in every way imaginable for Fendi, displaying the creations at some of the most iconic runway venues of all time: one at the Great Wall of China, and another over the Trevi Fountain in Rome.
In the early ‘80s, a decade after Coco Chanel's passing, Lagerfeld was signed on to try to save Chanel’s legacy: reimagining Coco's vision for tweed suits, two-tone shoes, and her crossing 'C' emblem. He revolutionized them for the modern woman, consistently updating and revamping the same classics each season to match the new and ever-changing trends.
With a focus on art and craftsmanship, Lagerfeld began presenting the Métiers d'Art shows in 2002 to highlight the immense talent of Chanel's atelier workers. The show, presenting itself outside of the regular fashion calendar, travels each December to beautiful, historic locations to exhibit the intricate embroideries crafted in the Chanel art houses.
In his eagerness to patron works of art, coupled with his successes as a designer, artist, writer, and more, Karl Lagerfeld was both a Medici and a modern Renaissance man. His controversies and successes rocked the once niche fashion industry into a pop-culture giant. He was a creator, successful in both conceiving new silhouettes and transforming the ones of decades past. His ability to tell a story—and tell it well—expanded the reach of the fashion industry to wider audiences than ever before, securing his role as the "Kaiser" of the fashion world.
Photo credit: https://gcn.ie/karl-lagerfeld-dies-aged-85/