#wearittuesday Who is KARL?

“Fashion is a language that creates itself in clothes to interpret reality”

Said one of the most influential designers of twenty-first century - Karl Lagerfeld. He became one of my favourite and amired designer only last year when I had a chance to study his entire life and journey with fashion.

How has Karl Lagerfeld changed the fashion industry? Fashion is now part of our daily life. It became more accessible over the years because of technology and the access to Internet. Consumers became more knowledgeable and more involved in fashion. There are many reasons to call Karl Lagerfeld a genius and a visionary in the world of fashion. At the age of fourteen he moved to Paris determined to become a clothes designer.

After winning the competition he started to work for famous fashion houses - “My first day in fashion, at Balmain in the 50's – it was terrible. If that is fashion, I thought, I better go back and finish high school. Today, nobody would accept the work conditions and the money we had to accept at that time. But one would not believe how humiliating the atmosphere was then in the fashion houses, how mean the people were. It would be illegal today.” Despite his over baroque taste, due to his intelligence and good sketches he started to create for Chloé. During his work he learnt a new meaning of fashion. His designs became lighter and simpler. Another significant step was joining the Italian fur business Fendi in 1967. Later, he began his long and passionate relationship with one of the most famous fashion brands, Chanel. “It was my dream, the only thing I ever really wanted to do was to come and work in a high fashion house in Paris”. In the documentary Top Ten Designers in Paris refers to Lagerfeld as not wanting to have his own fashion house, he never wanted to design for the private clients. However, in 1984 Lagerfeld established his own label Lagerfeld Gallery, which has changed into Karl Lagerfeld in 2006. His own label designs gained a huge reputation as being good quality, bold and ready-to-wear.

To be a great designer requires a talent and character but also an interest in contemporary society and culture. Karl Lagerfeld proved that he can be an artist and businessman at the same time. He understood quickly that fashion comes from the street, from other designers, from ready-to-wear, so high fashion has to be the fashion of the moment. Although Lagerfeld said once “fashion is about today” he likes mixing historical references with contemporary trends. Lagerfeld absorbs all kinds of information. He stays current by reading books and multiple magazines and listening various music. Lagerfeld has broad interests. He is a photographer who shoots the Chanel press kits and catalogues. He also exhibits his photographs and publishes books. So maybe here is the explanation of his huge success. Due to the fact he is well informed in the world of politics, economy and culture, he can predict the future trends and what people will like to wear and have.

Lagerfeld always took into account that clothes reflect the times and people's behaviour. Karl observes women to find out what they want. He made Chanel desirable but also in a way accessible by his cooperation with H&M. He changed the haute couture world when he designing the H&M collection in 2004. After him a lot of designers did the same for the Swedish giant. It was a huge success when top fashion met the streets and became more accessible to the mass market. Lagerfeld successfully mixed past and present. He observes culture and society and interprets it in his own way.

Today, consumers are waiting for his shows with bated breath and are excited about it. Chanel fashion shows, both haute couture and ready-to-wear are huge events. The shows are always prepared and organised with huge momentum. The runways are not simplistic designs. They are transformed into high streets, supermarkets, Indian themed dinner parties or even globes. The supermarket theme presented in March 2014 was a response to consumerism. One of my favorite and the latest shows Karl Lagerfeld referred to the idea of feminism. Chanel ready-to-wear spring 2015 was an expression of female power. At the end supermodels appeared on the catwalk with banners on which were perverse slogans relating to feminism and pacifist ideologies of the 70's. This is the view that the word will remember for a long time. Banner slogans such as 'Tweed is better than tweet' in a funny way gave a taste of Chanel, which is the reflection of today's world. Lagerfeld reshaped and revived fashion shows. He produces shows that people go to see not only to find out about the new collection. His shows are the places to be. It has to be remembered that the appearance of his famous clients and friends in the front row draw even more attention to his fashion house.

Karl Lagerfeld really changed the world of fashion. Season after season he surprises and designs collections that respond to what is going on in the word. His collections and fashions shows are desirable and awaited. Lagerfeld became a star, always on time, always contemporary. He possesses a rare talent of fashion prediction. His creativity and ambition has led to his survival in the very competitive world of fashion.