Remembering Karl Lagerfeld: Design Beyond the Runway
In honor of Karl Lagerfeld’s passing on February 19th, we’ve gathered 10 design moments from the Interior Design archives, some observing when the prolific fashion legend’s enduring creative career intersected with residential, retail, and hospitality design.
1. Lacoste Collaboration in 2008
Lagerfeld depicts his friend, tennis star and Lacoste founder René Lacoste, in his youth and his senior years.
2. Zaha Hadid Collaboration in 2008
Lagerfeld and Zaha Hadid designed the Chanel Mobile Art Pavilion, which traveled across three continents over two years. Its exterior was designed to mimic the quilted pattern of the classic Chanel 2.55 handbag.
3. Cassina Collaboration in January 2013
Lagerfeld photographed Gio Ponti’s Superleggera chair for Cassina in “An Authentic Eye,” a special exhibition in Paris.
4. Lagerfeld’s Paris Store Opening in Spring 2013
Plajer & Franz Studio designed a Paris boutique for Lagerfeld’s eponymous brand.
5. Jean Paul Gaultier Exhibit at Brooklyn Museum in October 2013
Lagerfeld photographed Alek Wek in the Dubar gown from Jean Paul Gaultier’s “Romantic India” women’s Spring/Summer haute couture collection of 2000.
6. Peter Marino‘s Design of Fendi’s Flagship Store in September 2015
For the outer walls and door of a fitting room, canvas was stretched over pointed rods. The statement was meant to reflect Fendi’s “explosion of modernity” when Lagerfeld began designing for the house in 1965.
7. Rome’s Palazzo Fendi Opens in Spring 2016
At Fendi, Lagerfeld shared creative direction with Silvia Venturini Fendi. Palazzo Fendi featured Lagerfeld’s black-and-white photographs of Rome framed in clear acrylic.
8. Manus x Machina at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in May 2016
Lagerfeld designed this Wedding Ensemble for the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2005 collection.
9. Lagerfeld Hotels & Resorts Launches in October 2016
Lagerfeld’s international hospitality brand translated his aesthetic into a range of high-end bespoke projects, including luxury hotels, residential buildings, and private clubs. The lobbies inside Toronto’s Art Shoppe Lofts + Condos were designed by Lagerfeld.
10. Lagerfeld Designs Interiors for the Estates at Acqualina in December 2016
Lagerfeld’s own photographs of Roman fountains and arches adorn wall panels, ceiling screens, and skylights, nodding to the communal nature of both lobbies and Roman piazzas.
For more on Lagerfeld’s life and career, read the full obituary.
