Celebrities collaborate in Karl Lagerfeld's memory

Karl Lagerfeld, the German fashion icon, died on February 19, 2019 – and he has certainly not been forgotten. In addition to Lagerfeld’s memorial (which took place in June), some of his closest friends, including artists, actors, models and designers, are designing their own renditions of his famous white shirt to honour him and his legacy.

Lagerfeld once said: “If you ask me what I’d most like to have invented in fashion, I’d say the white shirt. For me, the white shirt is the basis of everything. Everything else comes after.” A staple of most of his outfits, this white shirt has become part of the Karl Lagerfeld image and brand. The signature look of the button-down shirt with the thick, sturdy collar, his ponytail and his dark sunglasses has been immortalised in many forms, such as dolls, shirts and pins. 

The collection will be curated by Carine Roitfeld, the famed fashion editor and one of his favourite stylists, and those contributing include Takashi Murakami, Kate Moss, Cara Delevingne, Amber Valletta and Tommy Hilfiger. The CEO of the Karl Lagerfeld brand, Pier Paolo Righi, explains, “The participants in this tribute are all people who Karl knew, who he felt connected to, or who inspired him” – and that it will give people a chance to share their admiration for Lagerfeld and express the emotions they felt after his passing. It will be, he says, “a very unique and intimate way of relating back to Karl.” 

The collection will be shown in September during Paris Fashion Week, on Rue Saint-Guillaume at Karl Lagerfeld’s headquarters. Seven of the final designs will be replicated 77 times and will each be sold for €777. The number seven held significance to Lagerfeld throughout his career; it was his favourite number, his favourite arrondissement of Paris and the address of his bookshop on the Rue de Lille. All proceeds will be donated to a charity that Lagerfeld particularly cared for, Sauver la Vie.