7 Of Karl Lagerfeld's Most Iconic Fashion Collaborations

RIP Kaiser Karl, you will be missed

With his signature white ponytail and black sunglasses, the creative director of Chanel, Fendi and his own eponymous label, Karl Lagerfeld, was easily one of the most recognizable and powerful figures in the fashion industry.

Even as other designers came and went, Lagerfeld remained a powerhouse through the decades, swiftly adapting to the fast pace with ease and no signs of retirement in sight. He also had a keen sense of humour, and knew how to poke fun at his image, collaborating with many brands and ultimately becoming an icon in his own right.

We take a trip down memory lane and reminisce some of his most iconic collaborations.

See also: Karl Lagerfeld Dies Aged 85

Above Photo: H&M

1. Karl Lagerfeld for H&M

Believe it or not, there was a time where high street-designer collaborations were the exception and not the norm—and Karl Lagerfeld was way ahead of the curve. Back in November 2004, he was the very first designer to collaborate with Swedish high street giant H&M, creating a menswear and womenswear capsule collection that sold out within minutes. This success ultimately created the precedence for future cross brand collaborations to come.

Above Image Credit: Fendi

2. The Fendi Karlito

In 2014, Karl Lagerfeld immortalized himself in the most adorable and luxurious way possible—as a Mohawk-wearing mink fur key chain for Italian house Fendi, complete with the designer's infamous sunglasses and collar and tie of course. The brand struck gold with the accessory, quickly inciting a waitlist of 600 people the moment it went on sale. Psst, we even heard of samples "disappearing" when the key chain went out on loan for shoots!

Above Photo: Coca-Cola

3. Coca-Cola Light x Karl Lagerfeld

Fact: Karl Lagerfeld loved Diet Coke. It's all he ever drank, from the minute he woke up until he went to bed. Even when the designer notoriously went on a diet in the early 2000s, he stuck to drinking the fizzy soda, consuming up to 10 cans in a day. So it came as no surprise when Coca-Cola came knocking, inviting the designer to give the bottle a chic, new look.

Above Photo: Vans

4. Vans x Karl Lagerfeld

In 2017, Vans and Karl Lagerfeld came together, to reinterpret Vans' renowned classic styles through the lens of the iconic fashion designer. The result of this collaboration was a fusion of Vans' classic style and Karl Lagerfeld's inimitable look, featuring elements like boucle fabric, K-quilted stitching and a spin on Vans's iconic checkerboard print with Lagerfeld's silhouette as the motif instead.

Above Image Credit: Faber-Castell

5. The Faber-Castell KarlBox

Even with the large amount of resources made available to him, Karl Lagerfeld was a designer who still did all of his sketches, and he did so with the usage of Faber-Castell products. This naturally progressed into a collaboration, and thus the KarlBox was born. A set of 350 drawing instruments curated by Lagerfeld himself, Faber-Castell created this treasure chest of art supplies as a unique homage to Lagerfeld as well as an expression of the symbiosis between an artist and his or her tools.

Above Photo: Shu Umera

6. Shupette: Shu Umera x Karl Lagerfeld

Of course one cannot remember Karl Lagerfeld without the mention of his beloved pampered cat Choupette. Serving up as inspiration for a literal cat-eye, Choupette (together with daddy Karl) created a collectible makeup collection with beauty brand Shu Uemura, proving to all that the Siamese was more than just a pretty face.

Above Photo: Steiff

7. Steiff x Choupette

And for all the fashion felines that wanted more face time with Choupette, there was the collaboration with luxury toy manufacturer Steiff. A plush version of the cat was created in 2017, allowing fans all over the world to purchase their very own Choupette replica as a companion.

(This article first appeared on sg.asiatatler.com)

Topics

karl lagerfeld choupette fendi chanel

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