“I am a fashion person, and fashion is not only about clothes—it’s about all kinds of change.”
– Karl Lagerfeld
By Nazvi, 18 April, 2020
Karl Lagerfeld was a German creative director, fashion designer, artist, photographer, and caricatures. He was known as the creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, a position held from 1983 until his death, and was also creative director of the Italian fur and leather goods fashion house Fendi. He came up with this collection called “La Modernité de l’Antiquité”. The collection raised ancient Greece from the past was showcased in Paris for resort 2018 and you’ve got to love it! A Greek sunset served as the painted backdrop with Ionic columns that rose in the Grand Palais.
Photograph by: Yannis Vlamos, Indigital.tv
In an interview with Vouge, Lagerfeld said “The criteria of beauty in ancient, then classical, Greece still hold true. There have never been more beautiful representations of women- or more beautiful columns. The entire Renaissance, in fact, was based on antiquity. It is really about the youth of the world in all its power and unpredictability.”
The collection consisted of nearly eighty-five designs. The models were seen wearing headgears, jeweled earrings, long necklaces and bracelets. The accessories such as braided headbands, armlets and floral brouches had intricate details which resembled the features of Greek Fashion. The models were seen wearing gladiator lace up sandals of various colours like yellow, golden, blue, black and orange. In addition, the models were accessorized with gloves with straps, clasps, similar to the sandals.
They had very minimal make-up, winged eyeliner and nude lips. Their straight hair which was mostly long, stood pretty and did not compete with the overall look.
A wide range of prints of the society, from pottery to floral was seen in the collection. It was said that the rich typically wore purple as a sign of wealth as it was the most expensive flower dye to get hold of and Lagerfeld closely depicted this with the royal navy-blue draping.
The Greeks had a great appreciation for the human body, and it was shown in their fashion. The fabric was expertly draped and the cloth could be slightly transparent which was successfully shown in this collection as well.
The models wore two-piece set dresses with printed shrugs, knitted dresses with frills, off shoulder printed dresses, jumpsuits, off-shoulder belt dresses and flowy floral dresses. They are also shown wearing simple jackets in neutral colors but decorative borders true to the Greeks.
The colour pallet ranged from dazzling white to beige and navy to black, as well as subtle but shimmering golds. This was my favourite part of the entire collection as they are complemented by the set design of the show which depicted the era from which the inspiration is drawn. Not only is this collection beautiful, it is also a true representation of the Greek culture. You should definitely check out this collection!
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