Karl Lagerfeld Cancels S/S 2011 Show to Work on "Masstige" Line

[agee]

From nymag.com

Karl Lagerfeld Show Canceled​

9/7/10 at 1:15 PM​

Karl Lagerfeld is scaling back the time he spends on his namesake line to work on a "masstige" line. (Masstige products fall somewhere between mass and prestige products, naturally — so they're much more affordable than designer clothes but still of good quality.) So the Kaiser has canceled his Karl Lagerfeld show, which was scheduled to take place in Paris on October 3; instead, the line will be shown to buyers from showrooms in Milan and Paris.

The new masstige collection, which sprang from the idea of "mass elitism," will be sold online, a surprising move for a man who buys computers because he thinks they're pretty, not because he wants to use them. Negotiations for distribution and production are ongoing, but it should drop for fall 2011. Lagerfeld was one of the first designers to ignite a frenzy for his H&M line, which sold out in mere hours. Lanvin also recently announced it would go mass, with an H&M line hitting stores in November. It certainly seems essential for designers to offer more than clothes for only a tiny very wealthy percentage of the population these days.

 

[agee]

I'm intrigued. From the sounds of it, the masstige line is a whole new line as opposed to a retooling or redefinition of his eponymous line, akin to Zac Posen's Z Spoke line. I can see items from recent Karl Lagerfeld collections translating to a masstige line.

Karl Lagerfeld S/S 2010



catwalking​

 

[agee]

Karl Lagerfeld F/W 2010


nowfashion​

 

[agee]

And perhaps there will be a men's collection...

blogspot via Boomer Flashbang, zimbio

 

[Fatalefashion]

This is so sad! : (

 

[KatherineCouture]

^^ Agree

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

while its one show we will miss
it wasnt one of the bet lines...i mean black & white
over and over...it was just a line with him in mind

 

[Thefrenchy]

I'm really curious to see what he'll come up with.

 

[agee]

This is so sad! : (

Are you referring to the canceled show or the masstige line?

 

[Crying Diamonds]

Just to reiterate my posts in the Paris Fashion Week Schedule Thread:

DEVASTATED.

 

[liberty33r1b]

i really wonder what the new line will look like....

 

[TianSoFine]

I think his self-titled line was always the one he used for the more creative and modern designs that didn't suit Chanel and Fendi. Now, those two brands are evolving and I can see much of his recent Karl Lagerfeld work finding a place in Chanel or Fendi collections. I can also see some of the simpler or less expensive-looking pieces fitting into a "masstige" line. Although I have no idea what to expect, I do not have anything against this decision.

 

[chloehandbags]

It certainly seems essential for designers to offer more than clothes for only a tiny very wealthy percentage of the population these days.

I really missed the fact that there was no KL, this season, but I think the above quote says it all, unfortunately.​

As we've reached a point where the vast majority of the money in the world is in the hands of just a very few, ridiculously wealthy, people (many of whom may not even have much interest in fashion!), it certainly doesn't bode well for the R-T-W industry.​

A healthy economy is only possible when there is a large and healthy middle-incomed portion of society and that is simply not the case, anymore.​

Of course, what did we think would happen if capitalism was left to run almost completely unchecked?​

The inevitable outcome (and in fact, the entire point) of capitalism is that, rather like Monopoly, eventually, one person 'wins' and leaves everyone else with nothing (or next-to-nothing).​

Oh well...​