PARIS - Karl Lagerfeld’s last collection for Chanel opened with a minute’s silence for the late designer on Tuesday, as friends, collaborators and fans turned out in Paris to remember his 35 years as the creative force behind the French couture house.
Actress Penelope Cruz, one of the faces of the brand, took to the snowy runway in a white, feathery puffball dress, followed by 17-year-old teen supermodel Kaia Gerber, who collaborated with Lagerfeld on designs for his eponymous brand. “When I was asked a second time, I accepted, because everyone told me don’t do it, it won’t work,” the German designer said, speaking in French.
“It was a moment of communion for everyone who was here,” Caroline Lebar, who runs communications for Lagerfeld’s namesake brand, said after the show. “He was not just a fashion creator, he was a photographer, an editor, he made films, designed Coca Cola bottles, car interiors.. He leaves a real void.
“His art must continue,” said Natalia Solonevich, a long-time client of the brand from Moscow who was dressed in a Chanel baby pink suit. “There is a little bid of sadness... but this shows to people that he and his art can live on.”
Are they wearing pheran?👀