Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty opened at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in May, offering a look back at the career of one of fashion’s most extraordinary characters.
The German fashion designer won the Woolmark Prize alongside Yves Saint Laurent in the early 1950s, and had a voracious appetite for work until his death in 2019. His standard 16-hour working day meant he was the driving force behind not only Chanel and Fendi – which he headed for five decades – but also Chloe, Balmain, Patou and his own eponymous brand. He also designed for Max Mara.
A dive into what the Met calls Lagerfeld’s “stylistic vocabulary”, the new exhibition is a look at the designer’s seven-decade career, told through more than 150 looks. These are accompanied by sketches that illustrate how frequently collections would reach his teams already fully formed, down to what the buttons on each look should be.
It also examines the collaborative relationship between Lagerfeld and his head seamstresses, whose role in interpreting his sketches into the cut of a shoulder, the fit through a waist, or the creation of a whole new silhouette, were vital to Lagerfeld’s success.
With an aversion to frippery, Lagerfeld created clothes that were fluid and elegant, yet innately practical. Like Gabrielle Chanel before him, his designs were about ensuring a woman looked and felt her best, without having to worry about a skirt riding up or gaping at the back. This aesthetic traversed every project he touched. At Chanel, for example, this was realised as a crisp take on everyday grandeur, while at Chloe he crafted an idea of haute bohemia that endures 50 years later. For Fendi, meanwhile, he honed an identity of high-end playfulness.
In addition to fashion design, Lagerfeld was also a prolific photographer and shot many of Chanel’s campaigns. He also published books of his own photography, including The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited with Carine Roitfeld, which features celebrities in the classic tweed jacket.
Tirelessly forward facing, Lagerfeld surrounded himself with the latest music, technology and art to feed his creativity. He was unafraid to take huge risks in fashion and pushed his teams to achieve the seemingly impossible, such as the 2015 haute couture collection that included an entirely 3D-printed jacket.
For all his talents, Lagerfeld was also outspoken and was frequently scathing in his judgements. In 2012, he caused uproar when he described the singer Adele as being a “little too fat” (he later apologised by sending a car filled with Chanel bags). He declared that anyone who wore tracksuit trousers had “given up on life”, but was subsequently forced into something of a climb-down, when his namesake label brought out a range of tracksuit bottoms to meet client demand.
Ultimately, it is for his fearless attitude that Lagerfeld is best remembered. When he took over Chanel in 1983, it was in the doldrums. To reignite its spark, he reworked the early vision of Gabrielle Chanel, focusing on fashion that offered freedom to women, along with laid-back sophistication.
Rather than resting on Chanel’s weighty archive, Lagerfeld would experiment with bold new lines each season. He also introduced a more casual element to the house – denim in the 1980s and, more recently, trainers. “My job is not to do what she did, but what she would have done. The good thing about Chanel is it is an idea you can adapt to many things,” the designer once said.
In his later years, Lagerfeld adopted a personal uniform of severe, skinny-cut black trousers and jacket worn with high starched collars. With his hair drawn into a powdered ponytail, it was not without irony that he once remarked: “When I was younger, I wanted to be a caricaturist. In the end, I became a caricature.”
In 2017, The National spoke to Chanel’s president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, who was ebullient in his praise of the designer. “He is a genius. No doubt about that. Think of the work he has done over the past 30 years. He has made the brand strong, he has been able to clarify the direction of the brand, to reinterpret the cult of the brand and to push the brand for the future. So today Chanel is like a jewel, like a diamond. Everything is ready for the future.”
Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty is at The Metropolitan Museum of Art until July 16
Arctic Monkeys
Tranquillity Base Hotel Casino (Domino)
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Porsche Macan T: The Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 265hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
Torque: 400Nm from 1,800-4,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Speed: 0-100kph in 6.2sec
Top speed: 232kph
Fuel consumption: 10.7L/100km
On sale: May or June
Price: From Dh259,900
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
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Fixtures and results:
Wed, Aug 29:
- Malaysia bt Hong Kong by 3 wickets
- Oman bt Nepal by 7 wickets
- UAE bt Singapore by 215 runs
Thu, Aug 30: UAE v Nepal; Hong Kong v Singapore; Malaysia v Oman
Sat, Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong; Oman v Singapore; Malaysia v Nepal
Sun, Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman; Malaysia v UAE; Nepal v Singapore
Tue, Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore; UAE v Oman; Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu, Sep 6: Final
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
New schools in Dubai
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Recent winners
2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)
2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)
2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)
2007 Grace Bijjani (Mexico)
2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)
2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)
2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)
2011 Maria Farah (Canada)
2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)
2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)
2014 Lia Saad (UAE)
2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)
2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)
2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)
2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)
The five types of long-term residential visas
Obed Suhail of ServiceMarket, an online home services marketplace, outlines the five types of long-term residential visas:
Investors:
A 10-year residency visa can be obtained by investors who invest Dh10 million, out of which 60 per cent should not be in real estate. It can be a public investment through a deposit or in a business. Those who invest Dh5 million or more in property are eligible for a five-year residency visa. The invested amount should be completely owned by the investors, not loaned, and retained for at least three years.
Entrepreneurs:
A five-year multiple entry visa is available to entrepreneurs with a previous project worth Dh0.5m or those with the approval of an accredited business incubator in the UAE.
Specialists
Expats with specialised talents, including doctors, specialists, scientists, inventors, and creative individuals working in the field of culture and art are eligible for a 10-year visa, given that they have a valid employment contract in one of these fields in the country.
Outstanding students:
A five-year visa will be granted to outstanding students who have a grade of 95 per cent or higher in a secondary school, or those who graduate with a GPA of 3.75 from a university.
Retirees:
Expats who are at least 55 years old can obtain a five-year retirement visa if they invest Dh2m in property, have savings of Dh1m or more, or have a monthly income of at least Dh20,000.
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
World Sevens Series standing after Dubai
1. South Africa
2. New Zealand
3. England
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Samoa
7. Kenya
8. Scotland
9. France
10. Spain
11. Argentina
12. Canada
13. Wales
14. Uganda
15. United States
16. Russia
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Angela Bassett, Tina Fey
Directed by: Pete Doctor
Rating: 4 stars
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Five healthy carbs and how to eat them
Brown rice: consume an amount that fits in the palm of your hand
Non-starchy vegetables, such as broccoli: consume raw or at low temperatures, and don’t reheat
Oatmeal: look out for pure whole oat grains or kernels, which are locally grown and packaged; avoid those that have travelled from afar
Fruit: a medium bowl a day and no more, and never fruit juices
Lentils and lentil pasta: soak these well and cook them at a low temperature; refrain from eating highly processed pasta variants
Courtesy Roma Megchiani, functional nutritionist at Dubai’s 77 Veggie Boutique
More coverage from the Future Forum
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
