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The mythic kingpin of the cutting edge died in
February, aged 85, devastating the industry after his decades as
head of legendary labels Fendi and Chanel as well as his
eponymous brand.
Stars including Pharrell Williams, Tilda Swinton, Helen Mirren
and Cara Delevingne paid homage to Lagerfeld on the stage during
a tribute entitled "Karl For Ever."
Blurring the lines of haute couture, theater and film much as
Lagerfeld was known to do, the event consisted of live
performances and dramatic readings montaged with a short
documentary.
Featuring the ever reticent co-owner of Chanel Alain Wertheimer,
the film was narrated by Lagerfeld himself, sewn together from
dozens of clips before his death.
Looking on, the celebrity-studded crowd featured Mayor of Paris
Anne Hidalgo, singer-songwriter and supermodel Carla Bruni,
Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli, Valentino
himself, model Gigi Hadid, editor-in-chief of Vogue Anna Wintour
and the first lady of France, Brigitte Macron.
The show, conceived by Canadian opera director Robert Carsen,
was held in the glass-domed Grand Palais - the same
quintessentially stylish structure that housed some of
Lagerfeld's most sensational shows, which included elements as
spectacular as a 265-tonne iceberg and a replicate Eiffel tower.
"Karl For Ever" sought not only to highlight Lagerfeld's long
list of achievements as grand couturier, photographer or
publisher, but to highlight the man behind the glasses. The
celebration explored his personal passions like tango,
literature and music, and highlighted anecdotes from those who
knew him well.
Lagerfeld created iconoclastic, spectacle-driven fashion. In
this Lagerfeldian world, to be boring was a cardinal sin.
He also brought Chanel back from death's door, reinvigorating
the wilting couture house with the modern moxie that has since
kept Chanel a lucrative and industry-defining fashion house, a
job that required constant reinvention.
"It's up to us to adjust to our times," Lagerfeld said in one
video. "Evolution can't be stopped, and will not be stopped
tomorrow."
The tribute punctuated Paris' men's fashion week for
Spring/Summer, which wraps up Sunday.
(Reporting by Rachel Joyner; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)
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