Show your mother some love with a piece of fine jewelry.
Karl Lagerfeld, Father of Fashion, Dies at 85
The designer shaped not only fashion, but culture, through his work at Chanel and Fendi.
Paris—Chanel announced Tuesday that creative director Karl Lagerfeld has died.
He was 85.
The French fashion house did not give a cause of death. The only indication that the iconic designer was in poor health was his absence at Chanel’s haute couture presentation last month.
The Hamburg, Germany-born designer had occupied the top creative spot at Chanel since 1983, though the brand he helmed the longest was Fendi, which he joined in 1967.
At the time of his death he was also the creative director of eponymous label Karl Lagerfeld.
Chanel was where Lagerfeld made his greatest impact, having revived the brand at a time when it was terribly out of fashion, and shaping it into Paris Fashion Week’s most coveted fashion show ticket, partially for its extravagant presentations, which replicated everything from supermarkets to beaches with actual sand brought indoors.
He created compelling, contemporary clothing that always paid homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s legacy (a word he despised) through the founder’s signature tweeds, quilted bags and costume jewelry.
“My job is not to do what she did, but what she would have done,” the designer is quoted as saying in a statement Chanel released. “The good thing about Chanel is it is an idea you can adapt to many things.”
The barb-tongued designer, who flouted niceness with his sharp wit and controversial but often hilarious quotes, was also a cultural harbinger, shaping the fashion and entertainment landscapes through his choice of runway models—which often propelled their careers—his photography for Chanel and other brand’s campaigns, and his very own publishing house.
“I’m open to everything,” he told WWD in 2008. “When you start to criticize the times you live in, your time is over.”
Though his eponymous label never reached the creative heights of his work for Chanel and Fendi, Lagerfeld the man became his own cultural touchstone, appearing in video games, and even as a Fendi fur bag charm of his likeness called the “Karlito.”
In the fine jewelry world, Lagerfeld’s company inked a licensing agreement with Frederick Goldman to produce a line branded by the fashion house and it collaborated with Swarovski on a line of costume jewelry.
Embed from Getty Images
In a statement, Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer commented: “Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House of Chanel’s success throughout the world.
“Today, not only have I
Chanel’s president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, added: “Fashion show after fashion show, collection after collection, Karl Lagerfeld left his mark on the legend of Gabrielle Chanel and the history of the House of Chanel. He steadfastly promoted the talent and expertise of Chanel’s ateliers and Métiers d’Art, allowing this exceptional know-how to shine throughout the world. The greatest tribute we can pay today is to continue to follow the path he traced by—to quote Karl—‘continuing to embrace the present and invent the future.’”
Chanel has named Virginie Viard (pictured below with Lagerfeld), director of the brand’s fashion creation studio, as the house’s new creative director.
Embed from Getty Images
The Latest
The company’s Easton location will remain open.
Sponsored by the Las Vegas Antique Jewelry and Watch Show
Tradeshow risks are real. Get tips to protect yourself before, during and after and gain safety and security awareness for your business.
Tobak, author of “Ice Cold: A Hip-Hop Jewelry History,” shares how the exhibition came to be, and the pieces people may be surprised to see.
Stars adorned themselves in emeralds, platinum, and myriad bird motifs, writes Associate Editor Natalie Francisco.
M.S. Rau is set to open a seasonal gallery in the high-end resort town early next month.
Meet Ben Claus—grand prize winner of For the Love of Jewelers 2023 Fall Design Challenge.
The branded jewelry market is thriving, said Richemont Chairman Johann Rupert.
The six designers, all participants in the show’s Diversity Action Council mentorship program, will exhibit in Salon 634.
The highlight of his collection is the coveted Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, which could sell for up to $5 million.
The “Venetian Link” series modernizes the classic Veneziana box chain in its bracelets and necklaces.
The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship will provide tuition assistance to two low-income students.
The Swiss watchmaker said the company’s plans to use a new version of the Hallmark crown on jewelry would confuse consumers.
The executive talked about the importance of self-purchasers and how fuel cell electric vehicles are going to fuel demand for platinum.
The Indian jeweler’s new store in Naperville, Illinois marks its 350th location, part of its ongoing global expansion plans.
It will award a graduating high school student with about $10,000 toward a GIA diploma and an internship with the Seattle-based jeweler.
Wheat Ridge, Colorado police took a 50-year-old man into custody Wednesday following a two-month search.
PGI partnered with four new and seven returning designers for its annual platinum capsule collection.
Nicolosi, president and CEO of The Kingswood Company, previously sat on WJA’s board from 2011 to 2018.
Karina Brez’s race-ready piece is a sophisticated nod to the horse-rider relationship.
The men are allegedly responsible for stealing millions in jewelry and other valuables in 43 burglaries in 25 towns across Massachusetts.
“Horizon” invites individuals to explore the limitless possibilities that lie ahead, said the brand.
The jeweler credits its recent “Be Love” campaign and ongoing brand revamp for its 17 percent jump in sales.
The co-founder of Lewis Jewelers was also the longtime mayor of the city of Moore.
Elvis Presley gifted this circa 1967 gold and diamond watch to Dodie Marshall, his co-star in “Easy Come, Easy Go.”