WHAT IS THE MET GALA?

Every first Monday in May, the Metropolitan Museum of the Art’s Costumes Institute in New York City hosts the Met Gala, the most high profile fashion event in the world, known as the Super Bowl of Fashion. Each year the gala has a different theme, where the designers and its guests dress accordingly. This year the theme was Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

At the Met Gala celebrities wore a range from black and white, pearls, tweed, and even dressed up as Lagerfeld’s  famous cat, Choupette. 

WHO WAS KARL LAGERFELD?

Karl Lagerfeld was born in Germany in 1933. He started his fashion career in the 1950s, starting at Balmain and Chloe, and later moving to Chanel in 1983, where he revolutionized the fashion industry. 

He stayed at Chanel until his death in 2019. He also was head of Fendi and his own fashion label, Karl Lagerfeld. At Chanel he helped revitalize the brand, leading them to become the top fashion house in the world, and making it become the ultimate luxury brand. 

THE TRANSFORMATION OF CHANEL

At Chanel Karl embraced traditional Chanel looks and modernized them. He created designs from the iconic double- C interlockings, Chanel suits, and bags. Lagerfeld also pioneered cinematic sets and historic- worthy moments at runway shows. In 2004, he become the first designer to start doing collections with H&M which helped open a door for other designers who followed Lagerfeld’s lead, such Stella McCartney, Versace, and Maison Martin Margiela. 

LAGERFELD STYLE

His style was one of the most recognized. Seen often donning his big black sunglasses, silver ponytail, white collared shirt, and fingerless gloves, Lagerfeld was an unforgettable presence.    

Even though he was a known fashion icon, he was also quite controversial. During the #metoo movement he made several disparaging comments that upheld narrow beauty standards.