KARL FOR EVER

On Thursday, 20 June, the Houses of CHANEL, FENDI (LVMH) and KARL LAGERFELD all came together to pay tribute to Karl Lagerfeld at a celebration designed, directed and staged by Robert Carsen. The many facets of this extraordinary man were evoked through a tapestry of videos filmed throughout his life, interspersed with testimonials from people who knew him, as well as the generous “live” contributions of highly talented actors, musicians, dancers who interpreted some of the music and literature Karl loved so much. Actresses Tilda Swinton, Fanny Ardant, Cara Delevingne and Helen Mirren, friends of Karl Lagerfeld, recited and read excerpts from works by his favourite authors, such as Virginia Woolf, Stéphane Mallarmé, Colette and Edith Sitwell.

Karl for ever – Finale

The extraordinary Jookin dancer Lil Buck, the brilliant violinist Charlie Siem (who played Paganini, one of the favourite composers of Karl Lagerfeld’s mother Elizabeth), Argentinian choreographer German Cornejo, accompanied by his troupe of 17 tango dancers and his 7-piece orchestra from Buenos Aires (Carlos Gardel was Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite singer and the tango was his favourite dance), the celebrated pianist Lang Lang (who played Chopin on the grand piano designed by Karl Lagerfeld for the 150th anniversary of Steinway), and American artist Pharrell Williams were also on stage to pay homage to the man who had deeply marked them and who was their friend.