Karl Lagerfeld’s Most Iconic Designs
Karl Lagerfeld’s Most Iconic Designs
By: Emma Greene
One week remains before the first Monday in May when celebrities, designers, and fashion professionals alike will honor Karl Lagerfeld’s industry-altering career at the Met Gala. This year’s theme, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty,” will feature looks inspired by Lagerfeld’s superb craftsmanship throughout his more than sixty years in the industry.
In anticipation of the event, we have gathered some of our favorite Lagerfeld designs that we would love to see recreated on May 1st.
Lily-Rose Depp at the 2019 Met Gala
Originally designed by Lagerfeld for Chanel’s Spring 1992 Haute Couture collection, Depp donned this dress at the 2019 Met Gala titled, “Camp: Notes on Fashion.” The dress is one of Lagerfeld’s most easily recognizable, as it has also been seen on Penelope Cruz and on the runway of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Lady Gaga at Barney’s Holiday Ribbon Cutting 2011
Custom designed for Gaga, this dress encapsulates Lagerfeld’s work at Chanel. The dress incorporates Chanel’s classic tweed jacket and elevated buttons over a tweed hoop skirt and Gaga’s recognizable platforms. She wore the dress to the opening of 2011’s “Gaga’s Workshop,” a holiday exhibit that she created in collaboration with Barney’s.
Penélope Cruz at the 2008 Academy Awards
Penélope Cruz took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in this feathered gown. Cruz and Lagerfeld remained longtime friends. The actress made her runway debut as a part of his final show for Chanel in 2019.
Rihanna at Chanel Fall 2013 Couture
The pop star combined several of Lagerfeld’s classic Chanel designs in this look, worn to the brand’s Fall 2013 Couture show in Paris. Although pictured in Chanel, Rihanna is better known for wearing Lagerfeld’s Fendi designs.
Winona Ryder at the 1997 Academy Awards
Designing one of Winona Ryder’s red carpet looks was a coveted task in the late 1990s. To no surprise, Lagerfeld took the task in stride and created one of her most iconic looks to date. Ryder wore this dress as a presenter at the 69th Academy Awards.
Anna Wintour at the 2018 Met Gala
Dubbed “Cardinal Chanel,” Wintour wore this angelic tulle and lace ensemble, complete with a rosary, to the 2018 Met Gala themed, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination.” Wintour remembers Lagerfeld as her “brilliant friend” and is largely responsible for the Met’s upcoming celebration of his career as its chairwoman.
Yara Shahidi at the 2018 Met Gala
Another divinely inspired design, Shahidi donned this tea-length Chanel dress to the 2018 Met Gala. The Grownish star caused a stir on this night for having taken off her stiletto heels shortly after walking the Gala’s red carpet.
Diane Kruger at the 2010 Academy Awards
Kruger’s draping cream and black gown was first seen as a part of Chanel’s Haute Couture collection in 2010. The dress’s high neckline and asymmetrical detailing hark back to old Hollywood’s red carpet looks and display Lagerfeld’s ability to recall Chanel’s older designs and modernize them with his own twist.
Nicole Kidman at the 2004 Academy Awards
Then the face of Chanel No. 5, this seafoam Chanel gown was a natural choice for Kidman. The actress starred in a Chanel No. 5 television commercial in 2004 and remained the face of the company the iconic perfume until 2008. Lagerfeld called her “the best of the best.”
Cara Delevingne at the 2017 Met Gala
This sequined fantasy-inspired suit debuted as a part of Chanel’s Spring 2017 Couture Collection. Lagerfeld and Delevingne styled the ensemble with chrome pumps and matching makeup on Cara’s shaved head.
From classic tulle and tweed to innovative sequins and metallics, Lagerfeld was the genius behind countless celebrities’ most memorable outfits. These looks leave us in delighted anticipation for the upcoming tribute to his legendary work.
For more Met Gala content, continue reading Square Magazine. Follow us on Instagram for fashion updates and exclusive content.
All photos belong to their respective owners.