Heritage of Karl Lagerfeld

Heritage of Karl Lagerfeld by Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE. A little more than a year ago Karl Lagerfeld has left us. 1 year is not really a long time. Usually at this time of the year we all declare the yearly results – a balance sheet, financial statement that reports a company’s assets and so on. So let’s say that I’m going to declare 2019 year – a year without Karl.

CHANEL House

Chanel house went to the road of simplicity. New era of Chanel changed the “petite main” of house, new young team took place. House also changed the concept of the looks: from rich and luxury fabrics, fine leather, embroideries and plums to simple and relaxed outfits and sportswear. The logo drawn by Karl is still here of course.

Chanel Cruise 2021 Paris - Resort Collection by Virginie Viard- backstage
Chanel Cruise 2021 Paris – Resort Collection by Virginie Viard- backstage

Latest collection of Chanel House Cruise 2021 – resort collection by Virginie Viard recently presented on Instagram. See all looks of the collection HERE.

Chanel Cruise 2021 Paris - Resort Collection by Virginie Viard- looks
Chanel Cruise 2021 Paris – Resort Collection by Virginie Viard- looks

Just out of interest and curiosity I’m sharing ZARA Summer 2020 collection.

Zara Summer 2020 collection
Zara Summer 2020 collection

Tripping down memory lane: Chanel Cruise 2019 by Karl Lagerfeld. I leave the reflection to you, being “fashionably” correct .

Chanel Cruise 2019 by Karl Lagerfeld
Chanel Cruise 2019 by Karl Lagerfeld

And something surprising – a new way this collection of Chanel House Cruise 2021 – resort by Virginie Viard was presented on the web-site in let’s say a quiet new style… for Chanel that is, but very familiar to RUNWAY MAGAZINE since 2017, when we completely renewed and redesigned our platform (3 static images, 1 video). This online design actually became our identity. And yes, we did several projects for Chanel. If you don’t see what I’m talking about, just open www.RUNWAYMAGAZINES.com .

Chanel House Cruise 2021 – resort by Virginie Viard was presented on web-site

But yes, of course it might be just a coincidence or an accident. Everyone inserts videos to the front page of web-site. Although this kind of accidents never happened when Karl was leading Chanel. And now new team of Chanel house, who just came out of school, is keeping school habits – I see idea, I like idea, I repeat. This is known method, widely promoted by some Bureaus of Style in Paris, from where these new recruits are coming from. These Bureaus of Style are even proposing special scouting for the ideas as a part of marketing package. It means if you want to succeed, you just pay to one of these Bureaus of Style, and they’ll pick up number of ideas from different companies in USA and Europe and sell them to you.

KARL LAGERFELD brand

Karl Lagerfeld eponymous brand, created to express his unique vision of Parisian chic, was ready-to-wear and accessories brand. Very cute and original designs of his look, his signature were the main identity of the brand. Today Karl Lagerfeld’s brand new design team is simply repeating his designs over and over again, with addition of very basic ti-shirts and sweatpants with his name on it, or some various faces and stickers. Well of course what could be possible with new, so called Style Adviser Carine Roitfeld.

Saddest part is Karl Lagerfeld produced very high quality pieces, sold in his own lines and great stores like Galeries Lafayette in Paris, or Barneys in New York. Just a year later with new Style Adviser and new CEO Pier Paolo Righi Karl Lagerfeld brand is trying to sell new collections 50%-70% off all year long with chains like Carrefour in France, equivalent to 7/11 in USA.

Karl Lagerfeld Maison collection in Carrefour
Karl Lagerfeld Maison collection in Carrefour

Style Adviser Carine Roitfeld of course didn’t miss the opportunities to produce sweats with her face on it. She feels herself well at home in the house of Karl Lagerfeld, she brings Choupette, the famous cat of Karl Lagerfeld, to pet to everyone who’s coming there to buy something from her, and specially to the bloggers – the new feature of the brand. Well, Choupette sims to feel… well… the way she feels about it.

Karl Lagerfeld according to Carine Roitfeld
Karl Lagerfeld according to Carine Roitfeld

Let’s go for old-fashion “BEFORE / AFTER”.

BEFORE…

Last collection of Karl Lagerfeld for his own brand for Summer 2019
Last collection of Karl Lagerfeld for his own brand for Summer 2019

AFTER… According to Carine…

Karl Lagerfeld brand Summer 2020 collection
Karl Lagerfeld brand Summer 2020 collection

Just to note…

Karl Lagerfeld Heritage to Virginie Viard (Artistic Director at Chanel) and Carine Roitfeld (Style Adviser at Karl lagerfeld)
Karl Lagerfeld Heritage to Virginie Viard (Artistic Director at Chanel) – on top,
and Carine Roitfeld (Style Adviser at Karl lagerfeld) – on buttom.

Karl Lagerfeld and “family of hearts”

It is known that due to complications in his youth he didn’t really keep connection to his relatives. He choose to support his mother for her last decades, and that’s all about it. Karl Lagerfeld choose his own family among the people who surrounded him – “family of hearts”.

Recently MADAME FIGARO published horrifying story around Karl Lagerfeld legacy. The difficulties surrounding Karl Lagerfeld’s legacy are accumulating. We didn’t hear any news for 1 year, but an investigation of newspaper LE PARISIAN unfolded a quarrel over the fortune between two of the heirs and a mysteriously disappearance of an accountant. On the one hand, Sebastien Jondeau, his trusted man, who was his security, secretary, almost like a son, and on the other, Baptiste Giabiconi, his muse, well some sort of model, started deadly fight.

A series of unforeseen events would indeed have slowed down the execution of Karl Lagerfeld’s will, such as the inventory of assets which is still not completed and the “disappearance” of the accountant who closed his cabinet in September 2019 and has since disappeared from circulation. The Parisian investigation also highlights tensions between two of his alleged legatees: Baptiste Giabiconi and Sébastien Jondeau who each claim the place of favorite.

Baptiste Giabiconi and Sébastien Jondeau - in fight for Karl Lagerfeld fortune
Sébastien Jondeau (on the left) and Baptiste Giabiconi (on the right) – in fight for Karl Lagerfeld fortune

Here we are, I declared 2019 balance sheet. And I’m filing the petition for “bankruptcy” and creative property liquidation of Karl Lagerfeld.

Eleonora de Gray, Editor-in-Chief of RUNWAY MAGAZINE