Karl Lagerfeld hated retrospectives, and now the Met is giving him one

The exhibition will feature 150 pieces from Lagerfeld's time at Balmain, Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and Patou.

It’s been announced that Karl Lagerfeld will be the subject of the Met Museum’s Spring 2023 Costume Institute Exhibition. Anna Wintour and the Met’s Andrew Bolton made the announcement this morning at a press conference in Paris.

Throughout his career, Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, displayed little interest in exhibitions of past fashion. He even went as far as to say “I dislike retrospectives” during a press run for the opening of the Chanel show at the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005, which he ultimately didn’t attend.

Despite his own reservations against exploring fashion history, Lagerfeld is now getting his own exhibition. The show, Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, will be presented in the Tisch Gallery and will be on view from May 5th to July 16th 2023. 

The exhibition will trace the process of how Lagerfeld brought his creations to life, from notebook sketches to runway dresses, and will feature work that dates back to the 1950s up to his final 2019 collections.

It will display approximately 150 pieces from the five houses Lagerfeld left his lasting legacy – Balmain, Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and Patou – as well as pieces from his self-titled brand. As reported by the New York Times, the pieces were selected from “between 5,000 and 10,000” pieces sourced from each brand’s archives, private collectors, and the Met itself. Each garment will be accompanied by corresponding sketches by the designer. 

Marina Kellen French Director of The Met, Max Hollein, said in a release: “Karl Lagerfeld was one of the most captivating, prolific, and recognisable forces in fashion and culture, known as much for his extraordinary designs and tireless creative output as for his legendary persona. This immersive exhibition will unpack his singular artistic practice, inviting the public to experience an essential part of Lagerfeld’s boundless imagination and passion for innovation.”

Writer
Chris Saunders
Banner Image Credit
Instagram / Karl Lagerfeld