Lagerfeld
https://www.karl.com/us-en?srsltid=AfmBOoq4W4jccaoN6SIEGma6BLhDwtCSR4_VxRSdOadijIjCwJQ6CNt_
ABOUT THE BRAND
The house of KARL LAGERFELD shares the iconic vision and design aesthetic of its founder, Karl Lagerfeld, fused with a contemporary, forward-looking spirit.
The signature KARL LAGERFELD aesthetic combines Parisian classics with a rock-chic attitude and tailored silhouettes. Its portfolio of accessible, aspirational collections includes ready-to-wear for women, men and kids, plus bags and small leathergoods. Additional collections include watches, eyewear, footwear, perfumes, candles and fashion jewelry.
Driven by consumer engagement, KARL LAGERFELD’s immersive retail experience includes more than 200 monobrand stores worldwide, with key locations in Paris, London, Munich, Moscow, New York, Dubai and Shanghai. The brand further connects with consumers through a premium wholesale distribution network in Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
KARL LAGERFELD
Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld was renowned worldwide for his aspirational, relevant and cutting-edge approach to style. He was a force of nature, coupled with an enigmatic persona and an original perspective on fashion and pop culture.
In addition to being the creative director of his signature brand, Lagerfeld oversaw the creative direction of the Chanel and Fendi fashion houses. His visionary talent further expanded beyond fashion to include illustration, photography, styling and publishing.
PIER PAOLO RIGHI, CEO KARL LAGERFELD
For nearly a decade, Pier Paolo Righi has been leading KARL LAGERFELD as its CEO, and he worked in tandem with Karl Lagerfeld. “We feel honor and responsibility to be the only fashion House in the world that carries Karl Lagerfeld’s name on its doorbell,” Righi says. “We are the sole custodians of his legacy. We have built this brand around the very unique attributes of Karl himself and his spirit of creative curiosity.”
Under Righi’s leadership, the business has expanded globally and has experienced 30% compounded annual growth for the last five years. With a focus on innovation and sustainability, Righi drives the company in Karl’s spirit and according to his mantra: “Embrace the present and invent the future.”
“Karl has given us all the ingredients to be and to continue to be the desirable designer brand that we are,” Righi says. “As a true Karl family, we are driven and inspired, and in a unique place to build the world’s leading accessible designer brand. Karl continues to be present in the way that our organization is set up; it’s about curiosity, change, moving forward and large amounts of creativity. His spirit is in what we do every day.”
Righi is half-Italian and half-German, and has over 25 years of experience in the international fashion, sports and lifestyle industries.
HUN KIM, CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Hun Kim says it was a mutual love of illustration that first kindled his connection with Karl Lagerfeld back in 2015. “Throughout my career I’ve worked with many designers, but most of them didn’t know how to sketch, which is one of the reasons why Karl and I become close,” Kim recalls. “Karl said, ‘I don’t understand people who design without first sketching their ideas.’ It was very inspiring for me, and we had an immediate click.”
As Creative Director of the Maison KARL LAGERFELD, Kim worked in close collaboration with Lagerfeld to drive the future of the brand’s creative identity. “Karl always guided what he liked, and what he wanted changed; he had an eagle eye,” Hun recalls. “It was amazing to work with and learn from the greatest fashion icon of our time.”
Today, Kim continues to establish a compelling new narrative for the brand, in dialogue with Style Advisor Carine Roitfeld. Collections fuse eclectic influences and inspirations, ranging from Kim’s international travels to history, pop culture and a heavy emphasis of the future. The result combines the brand’s Parisian codes with a contemporary, rock-chic spirit, for a look that is equal parts powerful, romantic and edgy.
Born in South Korea, Kim studied fashion design in both his hometown, Seoul, and New York. He has previously held roles for powerhouse brands including Tommy Hilfiger, Elie Tahari and Ralph Lauren.
CARINE ROITFELD, STYLE ADVISOR
Stylist, storyteller and image inventor Carine Roitfeld is the Style Advisor of the Maison KARL LAGERFELD. Over the span of 25 years, she and Karl Lagerfeld forged a unique bond and profound personal connection; they were trusted companions and confidantes who also collaborated on numerous professional projects. Today, she works with his namesake brand to help translate his original perspective with a fresh, contemporary view and forward-looking spirit.
“It’s not so much about my vision, but the vision of Karl,” explains Roitfeld. “I’m not a designer myself, but I knew Karl very well. I help the brand to always have a little bit of Karl in its collections. He did so many things throughout his long career, and I want to keep those memories alive.”
A fashion visionary, Roitfeld has transcended the boundaries of culture and style over the past three decades. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Vogue Paris, the founder and Director of her namesake CR Fashion Book and CR Men, the founder of CR Studio, and the Global Fashion Director for Harper’s Bazaar. In 2011, after 10 seminal years at Vogue, Roitfeld redirected her energy to personal projects, including the celebrated launches of her own perfume collection, biannual style bibles, and a production house.