The theme for the 2023 Met Gala, May 1st at New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, is set to inspire fashion’s most exciting night to date. Entitled ‘Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty’ the night, and the corresponding Costume Institute Exhibition, is a celebration of and a tribute to the life and work of this legendary designer.
As a tribute to Karl, a designer who gave our jewel world so much, we have curated a collection of original Lagerfeld jewels from the 1980s to 2010s, for your perusal.
Peruse our ‘In Honour of Karl’ Collection .
The late Karl Lagerfeld worked with major fashion houses throughout his illustrious career, not least the House of Chanel, where his unprecedented tenure of thirty-six years proved the greatest influence on the House. Indeed he reinvented the House, defining the House of Chanel we identify with today. His Chanel legacy, his eponymous brand ‘Karl Lagerfeld’ and time as Head Designer at a dazzling array of the biggest names in the industry including Chloe, Jean Patou and Fendi, combine to sit impressively as his lifeline of design.
Chanel Metiers d’Arts 2013
When it comes to Karl’s jewellery legacy his most talked about move was undoubtedly the hiring of Victoire de Castellane for the House of Chanel in 1984. From Costume Design Assistant Castellane proved a life force and totally unforgettable in the world of Chanel and costume jewellery (likewise subsequently at Dior as Head of fine jewellery).
Her ingenious, highly refreshing creativity and playful take on accessorising the collections quickly earned her the position of chief designer for Chanel’s fantasy jewels.
The jewellery was always a key element of his collections proving integral to the story telling of the collections.
Consequently, Karl Lagerfeld’s lifetime jewel legacy is a fabulous and mesmerising story of decades of adornment. This alone is undoubtedly cause for heady celebration at the Met Gala.
Electrifying excitement always precedes the Met Gala but this year the stage has been set for something very special and seemingly almost spiritual in fashion terms.
VOGUE kicked off its tribute with an early release of the May cover, captured by the iconic photographer Annie Leibovitz. The cover gloriously featuring ten models with whom Lagerfeld frequently worked: Anok Yai, Shalom Harlow, Kendall Jenner, Liu Wen, Adut Akech, Natalia Vodianova, Naomi Campbell, Amber Valletta, Gigi Hadid, and Devon Aoki. Each model wore a new creation from the ten designers chosen to create masterpieces in honour of Lagerfeld’s life. These included John Galliano for Maison Margiela and Olivier Rousteing for Balmain. The shoot for this fashion feast took place at Paris’s Grand Palais, where Lagerfeld held many of his Chanel shows. This cover is one you’ll want to covet.
2014 Supermarket Collection
Read more about Chanel.