“Black to the Future”…that was the essence of Karl Lagerfeld’s collection, consisting, predominantly, of the most flattering color in the universe – black – allied with a Princess Leia-esque space warrior woman. When every other designer is looking to the past for style references and inspiration, Lagerfeld scoffs at the idea, as he once famously stated, “I like today and perhaps a little future still, but the past is really something I’m not interested in. So, as far as I’m concerned, I like only the past of things and people I don’t know. When I know, I don’t care because I knew how it was.”
His signature line is a projection of the Kaiser’s style onto the female form. He famously stashes hundreds of iPods in each of his residences all over the world, so it was no surprise to see the first model donning a fur helmet inset with an iPod (perhaps entertainment for the forthcoming voyage to planet Karl). He continues to maintain his androgynous look of slim silhouettes with well-tailored jackets, adding on to that with built-out shoulders for a particularly strong look.
Additionally, he offered a series of Princess Leia-esque dresses, such as the belted shift dress with cape-like flap in the back, a sack dress with a crystal encrusted front and back yoke worn with fingerless three-quarter length leather gloves, and another shift dress with a crocodile skin panel forming a “v” as the center front of the garment, paired with delicately ruched chiffon fingerless gloves, worn over skinny satin pants, and topped-off with Leia-ear covering jewelry. Embellished shoulder panels were a plenty, placed on everything from bomber jackets to pleated chiffon blouses.
Overall, his collection, was simply Karl (in a complicated Lagerfeld way), and it is certain that past, present or future, he will continue to know how to dress progressive fashion-conscious women for years to come.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
