Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of the Costume Institute, is gearing up for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York's future exhibitions, and one designer in particular is reportedly in the lead for a retrospective in 2022.
On Thursday, WWD reported Karl Lagerfeld could be the focus of such an exhibition. Given Lagerfeld's almost seven-decade career that touched fashion, interior design, photography, and more, the Costume Institute would not have a shortage of material to choose from for the exhibition. That, and Chanel was the subject of a major exhibition at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2005.
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Best known for his signature outfit of a black suit, high collars, dark sunglasses and a white slicked back ponytail, Lagerfeld was consistently outspoken— sharing his wit and singular opinions in many memorable interviews over the years.
In February, Lagerfeld died in Paris at the age of 85. The revered designer was a rare industry mainstay — serving as Chanel's creative director since 1983, while also working at Fendi as the creative director of furs and ready-to-wear. “Fashion show after fashion show, collection after collection, Karl Lagerfeld left his mark on the legend of Gabrielle Chanel and the history of the house of Chanel," Bruno Pavlovsky, the brand's president of fashion, told WWD when the designer passed away. "He steadfastly promoted the talent and expertise of Chanel’s ateliers and Métiers d’Art, allowing this exceptional know-how to shine throughout the world. The greatest tribute we can pay today is to continue to follow the path he traced by – to quote Karl – ‘continuing to embrace the present and invent the future.’”
Imagine a Met Ball theme where attendees were told to honour Lagerfeld by donning his signature silhouette. The museum has yet to confirm the theme of its 2020 fashion exhibition, only telling WWD "the Costume Institute’s permanent collection would be the primary source of looks as the institution marks its 150th anniversary."