WHAT FASHION DESIGNERS WEAR: Karl Lagerfeld
Last week we had a look at the Queen of British fashion, Vivienne Westwood. So this week i thought we would look at the King of French Fashion, Karl Lagerfeld.
Karl has a style that is totally unique, you dont even need to see a real photo to know its him, just a silhouette of the man is enough for you to think of him; as seen on Coca Cola Bottles last year.
We could call his style eccentric & noble & gentlemanly but its his twisted take on masculine fashion. His extreme tailoring and 100% pulled together look stops it from being boring. Sticking mainly to a neutral color pallet (and true to the Chanel aesthetic) , Lagerfeld has gotten good at showing off his assets and hiding his less desirable parts (note the very high collars, gloves and glasses). I believe he uses these accessories to hide his age (see last image) and also to keep an air of mystery, since he is such an internationally recognized star.
Keeping to a basic color pallet, makes his look effortlessly chic, and he always looks dapper weather dressed up for an evening out or working on the streets of Paris. Despite the monochrome, Karl can twist and diversify his look with a fancy metallic jacket, his all important accessories and a sense of humor.
With a romantic almost gothic edge, Karl introduces the odd color from time to time: Purple, Blue, Grey… even print and texture. He wears cowboy boots and heavy belt buckles which pulls his whole look together, he is eclectic and collects accessories, shamelessly piling many items together, such as rings and necklaces.
I personally LOVE Karls style, and think that many men could learn to experiment more with fashion and follow Karl in that classic, old world romanticism. Mens excuse is often a lack of choice, but as our dear old father of couture proves, improvisation and imagination is all thats needed. Age clearly makes no difference, as Karl simply ties his white hair back in a bow and carefully chooses accents to cover his aging skin. A bit of cash couldnt do any harm though, as a behind the scenes documentary showd us a large collection of suits from Chanel, Dior and other designer brands as well as a huge accessories table all laid out in Karls massive wardrobe.
Note: This wearing of brands has been one of my biggest questions…is it acceptable for a designer to wear outside brands? but the only thing that ive learned here, is that when you are rich and famous, the answer is yes, but how would it go down if I went into work wearing a competitors jacket?
xoxo LLM