KARL LAGERFELD

Here is one of Karl Lagerfeld’s signature pieces from the mid-late 1990s designed exclusively for his own private collection, not for Chanel, Fendi, or Chloe, which he designed until 1997.

A dark stretch crepe with beads in zigzag detail and chiffon—fitting for sizes two-to-four--it is classic Karl from the period in his life when his personal aesthetic was famously transforming from loving the baroque to experiments in minimalism. When Karl designed this dress he also was putting the finishing touches on his white-on-white apartment in Rome, working with the French modernist designer Christian Liagre and the German lighting designer Ingo Maurer.

“When I design Fendi I am another person from when I do Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, or Kl,” Karl says. “It is like being four people in one. Perhaps I have no personality at all, or perhaps I have more than one.” The self-described “fashion chameleon” won’t say which he prefers most—Chanel vs. Fendi vs. Karl Lagerfeld—but those closest to him have observed that his Karl Lagerfeld collection is his laboratory for testing out new ideas and integrating his most current passions and interests.

This dress is a perfect example of the designer’s most personal, creative process.

Karl Lagerfeld black silk crepe and chiffon and beaded dress, c. 1990's. Modern size 4

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