Karl Lagerfeld, one of the most prolific and widely popular designers of the 20th and 21st centuries, has died in Paris.
Lagerfeld was the creative director of Chanel, the French house founded by Gabrielle Chanel, for an era-defining, age-defying 36 years. In 1983, Lagerfeld swiftly revived Chanel, reinterpreting the house founder’s iconic tweed skirtsuits, little black dresses, and quilted handbags. It was hip-hop one season and California surfer chicks the next—he was a pop culture savant—without ever forgetting what the revolutionary Coco stood for: independence, freedom, and modernity.
In more recent years, as the company’s fortunes grew and grew, Lagerfeld became known for the lavish Grand Palais sets he conceived for the six Chanel collections he designed a year. There was a rocket ship, a reproduction of the Eiffel Tower, and a supermarket stocked strictly with Chanel-brand products.
Lagerfeld never failed to deliver something new and imaginative every season, designing with a modern approach while still maintaining the brand’s history. In honor of Karl Lagerfeld’s impact in the fashion industry, Bergdorf Goodman and Bloomingdales created windows dedicated to him.
As WindowsWear celebrate his career, lets take a look back at Lagerfeld’s defining fashion moments over the years through the windows.
