Jack-of-all-styles Karl Lagerfeld is getting down to his graphic self. In its offering for spring ready-to-wear on Thursday, his Lagerfeld Gallery paraded out dresses jazzed up in thick red stripes, chunky polka dots, even letters and numbers.
LAGERFELD SAID HE was looking to convey a “good mood” in the Carrousel du Louvre show, with light, playful tones that included leather miniskirts and wedge heels.
“They just don’t look like the old stilettos, they’re new and modern,” Lagerfeld said of the shoes.
His house gives Lagerfeld, who also designs for Chanel and Fendi, yet another outlet for his creative drive. This time, he’s seeking to innovate with hand-painted designs and triangular cuts.
A mishmash of styles featured accordion-like pleated dresses tapered at mid-thigh, or more classic, airy spring dresses with black and red designs on a white background.
This collection had a holiday feel — for the swimming pool-to-party crowd. Besides wispy pastel-colored scarves, there was a shiny silver bikini and a white top with a sequined flap looping over the back.
Among the few offerings for the more sober set, Lagerfeld displayed a white pleated dress that was about the closest thing to workplace-wearable in the collection.
Women: Get ready to accessorize. Lagerfeld’s collection was equipped to the hilt, with ring-strap handbags or thick silver-studded bracelets climbing far up the forearm.
Far thinner than he once was, Lagerfeld said his narrower waistline has helped him get more in touch with the needs of his slim models.
“You see how slim the girls are today — it’s incredible,” he said. As a designer, “a slim person is more normal than a roundish man who makes things for too-skinny girls.”
At a giant metallic warehouse across town, Emanuel Ungaro featured flowing, sexy dresses in vivid oranges, fuchsias and jade greens, peony themes and a smattering of Buddha motifs.
Chief designer Giambattista Valli of Ungaro said he wanted to convey a feeling of well-being and impart a “therapy of color.”
Valli’s surprises included a long, colorful train with the ruffles of a flamenco dress, and an unabashedly revealing top that left one breast uncovered.
“The inspiration comes a bit from a personal voyage I made between Cambodia and Los Angeles ... taken a bit from the (clothes) on the body of a monk,” he said.
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