One could say that Coco Chanel and Cleopatra were one and the same—empresses of divine beauty. Both women had their fair share of admirers and adversaries, and both are remembered for their indelible legacies. It may be because of such similarities that Karl Lagerfeld found fitting to reference this past civilization for the house’s Pre-Fall 2019 Collection, which was shown in the 10 B.C. Temple of Dendur display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Spectacle doesn’t even begin to describe this amazing show, of which Chanel is known to hold, as gilded takes on the iconic suit and jacket looked entirely exquisite. To better evoke the spirit of Ancient Egpyt, Lagerfeld paired many of his twisted tweed ensembles with floaty and long white sheaths underneath, almost as if to state that each model was possessed by an Egyptian spirit. Funnily enough, Chanel’s famous boxy silhouette worked well with the inspiration, especially considering the flat iamgery of hieroglyphics. Despite the focus on gold, however, Lagerfeld didn’t shy away from using print and color to add a bit more pizzazz. Some were injected with ethnic imagery, others had multi-colored yarns woven into the tweed pieces, while a few stand-out pieces had a sort of electric 80s print that was all kinds of nostalgic. And for the pièce de résistance, a rare runway appearance by Pharell encapsulated the pop culture spirit and relevance of this grand showcase. Only the likes of Chanel and Lagerfeld can give this sort of spectacle, and what a beauty it was!
Photo: Alessandro Lucioni / Gorunway.com
