The fashion industry bids farewell to Karl Lagerfeld during his final Chanel show

Tuesday 19 February 2019 will be written into history as the day the fashion industry lost one of its most influential designers.

Karl Lagerfeld’s unrivalled talent spanned more than six decades, during which time he imprinted his genius on three major fashion houses and launched his eponymous line.

At Chloe, he cemented the bohemian aesthetic now synonymous with the brand; during 50 years at Fendi, he created the signature “Double F” logo. But Lagerfeld’s most notable achievement was catapulting Chanel to stardom as creative director, a title he held from 1983 up until his death.

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Lagerfeld’s final collection for the French label was presented during Paris Fashion Week. This momentous occasion brought together 2,658 of the industry’s most prominent people, including Anna Wintour, Claudia Schiffer and Kristen Stewart, who united in celebration of the late German visionary.

Lagerfeld was renowned for his elaborate runway displays, and autumn/winter 2019 transported guests to a winter wonderland inside the Grand Palais. As ever, attention to detail was second to none: 12 Alpine chalets, which had carved shutters, lace curtains and smoke drifting from their chimneys, were surrounded by frosted mountains, birch trees and a powdery blanket of snow.

The show opened with a minute’s silence, before Cara Delevingne strutted out in windowpane-checked co-ords, a houndstooth coat and lashings of pearls. Statement tweed, wintry intarsia and sporty outerwear followed, never straying from the bumptious power-dressing Lagerfeld perfected in the 1980s. 

Penelope Cruz appeared in the emotional finale, wearing an ethereal dress with feathered puffball skirt, and carrying a single white rose, while Anna Wintour led a standing ovation. If there ever was a perfect way to bid farewell, this was it.

Rebekah Absalom