Being a Karl Lagerfeld fan, let’s start the 1st day of the New Year with some news update of the master of reinvention. Whatever he is up to or planning to do or even had been doing, doesn’t go unnoticed. 50 years back, the fashion designer had penned down many sketches for Rome based fashion house, Tiziani. Back in 1960, Karl freelanced with the brand as a designer. The epic collection of sketches and designs are headed to go under the hammer at the West Palm Beach auction house in Florida on 11th January 2014.
Back then, like many debutants, Lagerfeld was hired as ready-to-wear designer. Exemplifying his outstanding vision, the sketches portray Elizabeth Taylor along with other models in outfits packed with elaborate details like earrings, a flowing hem, a jacket’s trim and even a distinctive eye shadow shade.
These designs are deemed as blueprints that were used to clearly pass down detailed guidance to each member of the production team. Rico Baca, auctioneer and co-owner of the auction house has something to say about the past work of the current creative director of Chanel, Fendi and his eponymous label – “It was not meant to be art, but as 50 years have gone by, it has become art because it was done by Lagerfeld.” Though Baca was not sure about the estimated value of the whole collection, he strongly believes that the bidding on the sketches will start at $500 each. In all, it sums up that the influence of his designs overpowers the tides of various trends and passing eras.
NY Daily News reports that Lagerfeld’s designs and sketchbooks along with other work produced for the fashion house in the 1960s were preserved by Tiziani’s founder, Evan Richards. The auction will also put up many other sketches by others from Tiziani’s archives but the ones done by Karl Lagerfeld are expected to grab the most attention and the highest bids.
