What More Can Be Said than has already been said about Karl Lagerfeld? He's a Genius. Yeah, We know. He's The Most Recognizable Designer in the World. Uh-Huh. Got that. He is probably the most Talented Fashion Designer/Photographer/Instigator Around.... Sure! There is so much more that can be said but what ends does it serve? To further Illuminate something that already shines as Nakedly Bright as the Moon?
Well... Just when you thought that all those above things were Rote, Karl comes and Slaps you in the face with a Chanel Couture showing of such an Inexplicable Nature that you are dropped to your knees in Disbelief! I have stated, At length, the Unparalleled Monument that is Karl Lagerfeld and His Imagination. I, begin to sound like an Obsessive Sycophant, I am not denying that I am, but I don't need to reiterate it Ad Nauseum. In Fact. I will cut through all the Bullshit twaddle of my Adoration of Uncle Karl and His Irrepressible Genius and all that and get on with the getting on... OK? Good!
Versailles Cross-Polinated with Le Corbusier! That was Lagerfeld's Starting Point. Baroque Versailles for the Shapes and Lavish Embellishments as well as the "Cyclistes A La Francaise" Bicycle Shorts-Cum-Court Culottes under Virtually everything. Corbusier for the Minimalized Set that Lagerfeld envisaged from an old picture of a Rooftop Garden Terrace designed by Corbusier in the 1930's on the Champs-Elysee... All in White Concrete with a Baroque Mirror and Fireplace at each end.
By all standards, Translating this idea into one of Chanel's Ingenious sets was rather restrained in comparison to some of the most recent Spectacles, but no less extravagant when viewed in the right frame... The Entire floor of the set were Massive White Concrete Slabs (referencing Le Corbusier's terrace) inlaid Dead Center with a Baroque Chanel Medallion, Fireplaces at each end of the set surmounted by Huge Baroque Mirrors Emblazoned with the Interlocking C's. Absurdly Beautiful when the Sliding doors were incorporated and the Gold chairs for the audience.
This Idee-Fixe of Concrete was transferred to the CLOTHES ultimately. Tiny Cubes of the stuff was incorporated into Embroideries and Jewelry in the most Stunning and Fascinating ways. It was again, Lagerfeld thinking outside the Parameters of Convention and going for the Next Thing. One can expect, from what Uncle Karl explained, That this will be showing up again as he said the artisan that supplied the house with the Material, also has the cubes in Pink and Green but couldn't produce them in quick enough time for the Show... I am sure Karl will find a way to use them, Spring RTW is just around the Corner!
But that was just one aspect of the Stupefying Whole. From the First Exit out, one could tell Lagerfeld was thinking about Shape in a Different way with the signature Tweeds. He Proclaimed that this was "Haute Couture Without The Couture!" A Sly allusion to the fact that this season (with more to be explained Later) that Many of the Shapes were achieved by Molding the Silhouettes instead of Seaming, It was half true. Much of the Clothes were Molded and Shaped, But there was seaming, Just the most Invisible kind that only the Chanel Ateliers can achieve! Though even when seaming and sewing were involved, there was a definite "Molded" Quality to the clothes that gave them Eloquent, yet Slenderizing volumes without any Bulk! By the way, that opening Exit was smothered in front and back panels in the Aforementioned Concrete Embroidery!
As always, Lagerfeld did not skimp on the Daywear and the Tweed. Here each new Peroration was more stunning than the previous. A Pale Lavender Molded Suit on Pauline Hoarau was one of especial Caliber. As was Grace Mahary's Embroidered Multicolour Burgundy Version, But the Best, By FAR, was Ondria Hardin's Cherry Red Cutaway suit... EX-QUIS-ITE! It truly boggles the mind the Endless Variations on The Theme of a Tweed Suit that Lagerfeld Prodigiously produces... This was a Bumper Crop of some of the best he has EVER done!
Evening... Well... Too massive an undertaking for a review that has already gone on mayhaps too long. But some of the more Soul Melting ones... Ming Xi in a Black Strapless embroidered gown with Black Feathers and Crystal Embroidery, A pair of Molten Sequin gowns with Concrete embroideries at the bust in Iridescent Silver on Lexi Boling and Quicksilver on Zlata Mangafic with a Matching Cardigan! The best though was a Floor length gown on Jamie Bochert, Cut like a T-Shirt on top with a Silver Floral embroidered Black Chiffon skirt and the "Tee" Comprised of Clear Crystals and Beads was so Outrageously Exceptional, I cannot find the words to truly describe it!
After this Lagerfeld sent down a Parade of Snow White Beauties with Naif Rococo Embroideries that echoed the Versailles Feeling without referencing it directly, But one could definitely pick up on the Inference! It was one Masterpiece after another each more Bewilderingly Amazing than the last! What was even more so Jaw Dropping was that most were Molded... OUT OF NEOPRENE! OH! DEAR! LORD! That Lagerfeld could achieve such Balance and Sleekness out of such an Unforgiving and Disturbingly Unconventional material is a Miraculous feat that only He, His Atelier and The Almighty know how it was accomplished!
When Ashleigh Good appeared in a Watteau back Molded Neoprene Mariee and 7 Months preggers with a round Tummy and an Equally Rounded gown... it was a Disney Worthy scene of Wonder. Even more Staggering... The Insanely Lavish Embroidery on the Watteau Train of the Bridegown. To say it was Over The Top is to Minimize Over-The-Top to Minute proportions. It was FUCKING INSANE!
All one can say is that, It was another escapade into the Wonderful World of Karl. Is it possible that there is anything more that he can do to Awe and Amaze? As the years grow further along, you'd have to believe that answer is No. But, As I have Stated Before... This IS Karl Lagerfeld we are talking about... That surely means that ANYTHING is Possible. And if ANYTHING IS Possible, Karl's Brain is probably Already Pondering it!
That's All.
Bye4Now!
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