In May 2023, the Met Gala will honour the work of the late Karl Lagerfeld as its theme.
US Vogue announced that the theme of the event, which is one of the most important in the fashion world’s calendar, will coincide with a major exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
The exhibition, titled “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty” will bring around 150 creations from the iconic German designers together to “explore [his] stylistic language”.
It will show items from his time as creative director of Fendi, Chloe and Chanel. Pieces from his shorter times at Balmain and Patou, as well as designs from his own label, will also be on display.
Alongside each piece will be Lagerfeld’s original sketches, as well as video interviews with his respective premiers. The interior of the exhibition has been designed by architect Tadao Ando, who once designed a house for Lagerfeld that was never built.
Lagerfeld, who died on 19 February 2019 at the age of 85, was a regular attendee at the Met Gala. He also loaned pieces from his collections to the Met Museum’s previous exhibitions, including for the 2005 “House of Chanel” theme.
But Costume Institute curator Andrew Bolton told US Vogue that Lagerfeld was not a fan of fashion pieces being put on display in museums.
He said: “Karl never tired of telling me that fashion did not belong in a museum. When we worked on the Chanel show together he was incredibly generous in what he lent, but he was completely disinterested in the exhibition itself!
“He would say, ‘Fashion is not art – fashion belongs on the street, on women’s bodies, on men’s bodies.”
Designer Karl Lagerfeld and actress Blake Lively attends the 'Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty' Costume Institute Gala at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 2, 2011
(AFP via Getty Images)
Chanel has been named as the chief sponsor of the exhibition, with additional support from Fendi, the Karl Lagerfeld brand, and Conde Nast.
The Met Gala is an invitation-only event and brings together the biggest stars in film, music, sport and media.
It is a charity event that raises funds for the Costume Institute, which is the only department of the Met Museum that has to fund itself.
According to the New York Times, it raised US$15m (approximately £13.6m) in 2019. Tickets cost US$30,000 (£27,000) while tables cost US$275,000 (£248,000).
