Karl Lagerfeld was renowned worldwide for his aspirational, relevant and cutting-edge approach to style. He was a force of nature, coupled with an enigmatic persona and an original perspective on fashion and pop culture. In addition to being the creative director of his signature brand, Lagerfeld oversaw the creative direction of the Chanel and Fendi fashion houses. His visionary talent further expanded beyond fashion to include illustration, photography, styling and publishing.
Behind the dark sunglasses, polished suit and flawless hair – behind the international fashion icon – Karl Lagerfeld was an incredible human. Extraordinarily perceptive. Brilliantly well-read. A dazzling storyteller. His friends knew him as genuine, generous and kind. And as a surprise to many, he had a biting sense of humor. Karl’s sharp tongue could deliver a wisecrack with perfect timing; he always promised to be an entertaining conversationalist. While the public perception of him was a carefully curated image, there was much more to Karl than what meets the eye.
For nearly a decade, Pier Paolo Righi has been leading KARL LAGERFELD as its CEO and President, and he worked in tandem with Karl Lagerfeld. “We feel honor and responsibility to be the only fashion House in the world that carries Karl Lagerfeld’s name on its doorbell,” Righi says. “We are the sole custodians of his legacy. We have built this brand around the very unique attributes of Karl himself and his spirit of creative curiosity.”
With a focus on innovation and sustainability, Righi drives the company in Karl’s spirit and according to his mantra: “Embrace the present and invent the future.” “Karl has given us all the ingredients to be and to continue to be the desirable designer brand that we are,” Righi says. “As a true Karl family, we are driven and inspired, and in a unique place to build the world’s leading accessible designer brand. Karl continues to be present in the way that our organization is set up; it’s about curiosity, change, moving forward and large amounts of creativity. His spirit is in what we do every day.”
Two of Karl Lagerfeld’s closest collaborators – Hun Kim and Carine Roitfeld – have been entrusted to lead the creative direction of his namesake brand. They are inspired by the vigor and enthusiasm that Karl demonstrated to them, while at the same time driving the brand forward with fresh energy, passion and creativity. Together they translate his pioneering genius and celebrate his own viewpoint: “Embrace the present and invent the future.”
“It’s not so much about my vision, but the vision of Karl,” explains Roitfeld. “I’m not a designer myself, but I knew Karl very well. I help the brand to always have a little bit of Karl in its collections. He did so many things throughout his long career, and I want to keep those memories alive.”
Sébastien Jondeau was Karl’s personal assistant for over 20 years. They first met in the early 1990s, and Jondeau thereafter became known as his trusted aid and confidant. In 2005, Jondeau began modeling for KARL LAGERFELD men, and in 2017, with Karl’s encouragement, his role expanded into a design capacity and menswear ambassador. Today he remains an integral member of the #TEAMKARL family, who regularly curates collections and has co-designed his own capsule.
Design was the foundation of Karl’s life; for him, expressing his inexhaustible creativity was an intrinsic need. However, his career in fashion happened somewhat accidentally, as he originally planned to become an illustrator. By chance, he entered the 1954 International Woolmark Prize – at just 21 years old – and won first place for his sketch of a coat, which instantly launched his career. In the 65 years that followed, fashion remained the core of his work, though he continually explored various realms of design. This was fueled by an unrelenting mind and boundless sources of inspiration, from people and places to art and pop culture.
