A Retrospective: Chanel under Karl Lagerfeld (1983- 2019)

[Creative]

Well, I start this discussion just to talk about what Karl Lagerfeld has been doing since 1983 (spring-summer collection) for Chanel, when he showed his first Chanel collection.

 

[Creative]

Ines de la Fressange. Karl Lagerfeld's debut collection for Chanel (1983 ss). Paris.

Coco Chanel's salon in Rue Cambon. 1983 ss.

Source: catwalking.

 

[XavierRaphael]

Where can I see more of his debut collection?

 

[Boomer]

Wonderful thread!! Thanks!! B) I would love to see more old KL/Chanel collections, too- most of the pictures I have found are very hit and miss- it is very hard to get a feel for the entire collection when there are only three outfits...

 

[Creative]

Boomer, I think there's a video at Youtube (I'm not pretty sure if it's still there because I saw it a long time ago). Later I'll try to find it. Anyway I have more photos on my pc, the problem is that I can't credit them beacuse I don't remember where they were cought.

I feel really pasionated about Chanel (I couldn't be more passionated about it). I adoooore Gabrielle and I like Karl, he's so nice.

At youtube you can find a lot of his collections for this emblematic -the most one- brand.


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[Creative]

It's a pity that there're not more people posting in this part of the forum, from my point of view it's the best one.

Here you see another dress from his debut collection. I think it's the one who Ines wore.

coutureallure

 

[Creative]

Fall/winter 1987–88.

Though the original was constructed in a reserved black crepe de chine, Karl Lagerfeld, who became head designer for the House of Chanel in 1983, executed this little black dress from autumn/winter 1987–88 in a fetishistic black vinyl and black polyester jersey combination. Lagerfeld infuses a controversial, modern persona into the 1920s silhouette (with dropped waistline, flounced knee-length skirt, and modest cocktail neckline) that first brought Coco fame. The design embodies the irony of the late twentieth-century "cocktail" outfit. In the postmodern aesthetic, the cocktail outfit seems to dress only the runway, professing nostalgia for submissive femininity or parading a tongue-in-cheek social commentary.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

[Creative]

Evening ensemble, spring/summer 1992

This evening ensemble designed by Karl Lagerfeld for the House of Chanel illustrates his success in maintaining and reinterpreting the style elements created by Gabrielle Chanel. This example features several overt references to Chanel's innovative designs of previous decades. Lagerfeld has paired a men's underwear-type tank top, emblazoned with the interlocked "CC" logo (first seen on Chanel's suit buttons in 1964), with a frothy tulle skirt. To this combination, he has added an oversized gold-colored metal and wood chain belt, employing yet another signature Chanel accessory dating from the 1960s. With a skillful use of references to past Chanel designs, Lagerfeld's interpretations bring the classic Chanel look up to date.


The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

[MissMagAddict]

THE CHANEL OBSESSION
US Vogue September 1991
By Jane Kramer
Photograph by Karl Lagerfeld






source | scanned by MMA

 

[Creative]

Prêt-à-porter, spring/summer 1995
Shirt jacket of black wool; pants of white linen.

This day ensamble transmits me a lot of feelings, it's history.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

[Creative]

I loooooooooooooooooooooooooove Chanel.

Day Suit.
Prêt-à-porter, spring/summer 1994.
Jacket and skirt of ivory cotton bouclé with crocheted black rubber braid trim; blouse of ivory silk twill yoke with black striped ivory cotton jersey.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

[Creative]

"Coromandel" Evening Ensemble (detail).
Haute Couture, autumn/winter 1996-97.
Coat of black silk organza over-embroidered in black, gold, and red sequins and bronze seed beads in Chinoiserie motives; catsuit of black nylon and polyester blend elasticized knit

Museum of art.

 

[Creative]

Belt.1985.
Gilt metal chain and medallions.
Courtesy of Mark Walsh Leslie Chin.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

[Creative]

 

[Boomer]

OMG- This is like finding a treasure chest!! Thanks guys!! Keep 'em coming- I'll find some of mine as well...

MMA- Fantastic article- I thought I had seen them all, great stuff! I read in my bible (The Beautiful Fall- I read this book constantly...) that when Karl was first hired by Chanel he spend weeks locked away going through the archives to get his reference points- and he was so proud to find that his personal Chanel archive was bigger than the companies!! Can you even imagine!!?

 

[Dkammern]

what's better than karl articles... VINTAGE KARL ARTICLES!!!!

uncle karl hasnt changed... (he still talks about his mother, he still reads and quotes Goethe, he still has this obsession for buying, decorating, redecorating, and selling houses around the world) ... and yet, he is never demode.... he is BEYOOOOOOND!

 

[Boomer]

I love this outfit and hat!!

Model on the runway at the Spring/Summer 1997 Chanel couture collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld, wearing a dark pants suit with white trim on jacket and a large feather hat.

Corbis.com

 

[Jaycee8780]

This is such a wonderful thread! Thank you! I LOVE Karl, too, and this is just wonderful!!!

 

[Boomer]

Model on the runway at the Spring/Summer 1997 Chanel couture collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld, wearing an off-white evening ensemble with checked pattern of metallic-edged openwork on jacket and skirt, and white feather headpiece.

Corbis.com

 

[Boomer]

Model on the runway at the Spring/Summer 1997 Chanel couture collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld, wearing a white and metallic suit comprised of box jacket edged in red and wide-legged pants.

Corbis.com