More than a mere tastemaker, Karl Lagerfeld devoted himself to the continual pursuit of chic. “My life and my job,” the designer once said, “is to forget myself.” During his five-decade career designing shoes, handbags, evening dresses and other items for Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and many others, Lagerfeld was a quintessential chameleon, ever evolving to embody the times.
An outsize, instantly recognizable personality — his ponytail powdered like an 18th-century viscount, his eyes perpetually shielded by dark glasses, wearing fistfuls of chunky silver jewels — Lagerfeld was, above all, an avatar of style.
Born in Hamburg (in 1933, ’35, or ’38 by varying accounts), Karl Lagerfeld packed his bags for Paris in 1954. His design for a coat won him the International Wool Secretariat and landed him a job with the celebrated couturier Pierre Balmain. He went on to become the designer of Jean Patou, eventually realizing that his seemingly endless ideas could fuel a career as a designer-for-hire. As such, Lagerfeld lent his vision to everyone from Loewe and Max Mara to Krizia and Charles Jourdan, nimbly moving among a diverse range of styles. It was an unprecedented way of working in the days when freelance was still a dirty word.
During the late ’60s and ’70s, he refashioned Chloé to reflect the free spirit of the day and, beginning in 1965, joined forces with the Fendi family, taking it from sleepy furrier to fashion’s haute-est stratum. Because of his track record for reviving and reimagining brands that had grown stagnant, in 1983 Lagerfeld was handed the reins at Chanel, which had been gathering dust since its founder’s heyday.
From Lagerfeld's first Chanel collection, he injected the venerable house with a frisson of modernity. He riffed on its iconography — tweed skirt suits, pearls, camellias — accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment. Despite producing eight collections a year for Chanel, as well as four to five for Fendi, Lagerfeld never faltered in proposing new ideas each time he put pencil to paper.
Lagerfeld’s collections for Chanel, in particular, displayed his knack for synthesizing old and new, high and low. From Watteau (Spring/Summer 1985 couture) and Serge Roche (Spring/Summer 1990 ready-to-wear) to hip-hop fly girls (Fall/Winter 1991 ready-to-wear), surfers (Spring/Summer 2003 ready-to-wear) and ancient Egypt (Pre-Fall 2019), Lagerfeld used each season’s inspiration to conceive Chanel’s signatures anew.
Browse a collection of sophisticated designs by Karl Lagerfeld on 1stDibs, including handbags and evening gowns for Chanel, vintage cocktail dresses for Chloé and more.
$547Sale Price|55% Off
Karl Lagerfeld Satin Finish Umber Photo-Lithograph of Max Delorme, Nude, 1997
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Gorgeous photo print by the iconic photographer and fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld of Max Delorme. Image captured and satin finish umber photo-lithograph printed in 1997. Measures: ...
Paper
John Kacere Nude Prints
Located in Atlanta, GA
John Kacere nude prints, American, circa 1970s. The top print measures 18.25" H x 27.5" W. The bottom left measures 15" H x 23" W. The bottom right measures 14.75" H x 22" W. They ha...
Glass, Wood, Paper
Contemporary Photograph of a Sliced Apple
Located in Sheffield, MA
Caroline Kaars Sypesteyn of Berkshire Artisanal is the artist who has created this black-and-white photographic print on linen of a sliced apple. Titled "Apple Portfolio Print." The ...
Linen, Wood
$1,800
H 32.25 in W 27.3 in D 1.3 in
Christo / The Pont Neuf Wrapped / Project For Paris, 1984 Lithograph
By Nouvelles Images, Christo and Jeanne-Claude
Located in New York, NY
Christo / The Pont Neuf Wrapped / Project for Paris, 1984 / Collage En Deux Partes Offset lithograph in colors on woven paper, published by Nouvelles Ima...
Paper
Female Nude Photography by Greg Gorman
By Greg Gorman
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist: Greg Gorman (American, b. 1949), Title: With Her Hand on the Wall Year: 1988 Medium: Gelatin Silver print. Artist stamp verso Image size: 10.5"h x 8"w, overall (with ma...
Paper
Pictorialist Photograph Nude Wood Nymph by Charles Cook Circa 1910
Located in Rochester, NY
Pictorialist photograph of nude woman in a forest interior by Charles Cook. Silver print. Circa 1910. Charles J. Cook was a painter and pho...
Paper
Photograph of Male Nude by Greg Gorman
By Greg Gorman
Located in Atlanta, GA
Artist: Greg Gorman (American, b. 1949) Title: Rex and Gregory, 1988 Gelatin silver print Image size: 18.75 x 14.75 inches Paper size: 19.75 x 15.875 inches Frame size: 24.8 x 1...
Glass, Wood, Paper
"Patience" Plexiglass Mounted Color Horse Photo by Lisa Houlgrave
Located in Plainview, NY
"Patience," is a color photograph featuring the mighty Andalusian stallion, "Novelisto D" who played Colin Farrell's guardian angel, "Athansor," in Warner Brother's movie, "Winter's Tale." Renowned Hollywood horse trainer, Rex Peterson, scoured the country for nearly a year searching for this special horse to play the powerful and magical hero. "Patience," is printed by the Masters at Duggal, New York on Archival High Definition C archival paper and mounted under 1/4" Plexiglas with an 1/8" aluminum back and brace for support and hanging. Limited Edition: 125, signed on the back. A companion piece, "Virtue," is available in the same size and price which is featured in image #2. Companion available. Virginia born fashion and portrait photographer, Lisa Houlgrave...
Paper
$950Sale Price|42% Off
H 13.5 in W 10.5 in D 1 in
Vintage Nude Black and White Photograph by Josef Ehm
By Josef Ehm
Located in Rochester, NY
Vintage black and white photograph, photography by Josef Ehm. "Resting Model II", circa 1960s, gelatin silver print. Josef Ehm: Czech, 1909-1989. Born in Habartov. Apprenticed i...
Paper
Vintage Robert Rauschenberg 'Envelope' Lithograph
By Robert Rauschenberg
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Vintage Robert Rauschenberg lithograph, 1970 Title: "Envelope" Photo: mechanical lithograph on laminated paper with a centre fold. Features dou...
Paper
Mammoth Photograph of Notre Dame
Located in Rochester, NY
Grand tour 19th century photograph of Notre Dame Cathedral, late 19th century. Matted. Unframed.
Paper
$122Sale Price|20% Off
H 0.4 in W 9.85 in D 12.21 in
Original Photo of Furniture by Karl Erik Ekselius / Sweden, 1952
By Karl-Erik Ekselius
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia, 1952 - Maker: Carlssons Mobelindustri - Museum of decorative Arts in Czech republic - Suitable for framing - Photographed by Illek and Paul. jr
Paper
Original Photograph of Jodie Kidd by Karl Lagerfeld
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
Original silver gelatin print from Lagerfeld's studio ex-collection Eric Wright - Lagerfeld's right hand man in the 1980s-90s. Framed at Lagerfelds favorite framer, American art on ...
Wood, Paper
Sold
H 20 in W 16 in D 0.75 in
Karl Lagerfeld Nude Fashion Photograph Litho 1997, Karla Bruni #3818/5000
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Karl Lagerfeld photograph of Karla Bruni, 1997. Ms. Bruni was a French supermodel, successful recoding artist and also became the First Lady of France. This beautiful female nude o...
Paper
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H 20 in W 16 in D 0.75 in
Karl Lagerfeld Nude Fashion Photograph Litho, #3818/5000 Phillippe Reynaud, 1997
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Karl Lagerfeld photograph of Philippe Reynaud, 1997. This beautiful male nude was included in a boxed series of photograph lithographs of nude models/celebrities done for Visionaire,...
Paper
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H 20 in W 16 in D 0.75 in
Karl Lagerfeld Nude Fashion Photograph Litho, #3818/5000 Alex Lundqvist, 1997
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Karl Lagerfeld photograph of Alex Lundqvist, 1997. This beautiful male nude was included in a boxed series of photograph lithographs of nude models/celebrities done for Visionaire...
Paper
Sold
H 20 in W 16 in D 0.75 in
Karl Largerfeld Nude Fashion Photograph Litho #3818/5000, David Miller, 1997
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Karl Lagerfeld photograph of the beautiful David Miller, 1997. This beautiful male nude of model David Miller was included in a boxed series of photogr...
Paper
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H 20 in W 16 in D 0.75 in
Karl Lagerfeld Nude Fashion Photograph Litho, #3818/5000, Amber Valletta, 1997
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Karl Lagerfeld photograph of Amber Valletta, 1997. A boxed series of photograph lithographs of nude models/celebrities done for Visionaire, NYC publish...
Paper