Karl Lagerfeld’s passing on the 19th of February undoubtedly marked the end of an era. The most iconic masters of Haute Couture have either passed away or faded away from the limelight, leaving behind commercial fashion houses without the attitude, the drama and that excitement that designers like Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander Mcqueen and John Galliano brought to the fashion industry.


Extremely controversial but undeniably a trailblazer, his bold and fearless nature brought forth some exceptional and groundbreaking innovations in fashion.  Chanel’s A/W 2015 collection was one of the first to incorporate 3D printing into their pieces.  He modernized Coco Chanel’s signature use of tweed by incorporating original materials such as rubber, denim, feathers and glitter into the weave. Spring/ Summer 2016 saw embroidery crafted out of wood and veneer fragments. The list is endless.

Chanel A/W 2015.
3D printing mixed with Bouclé and beading.
Image source: www.racked.com
Chanel A/W 2015.
3D Printing mixed with beading and sequins.
Image source: www.racked.com
Chanel Spring/Summer 2016.
Wooden embroidery.
Image source: www.chanel.com

Karl’s passing made us re-discover his work. We love looking back through history to explore old and vintage embroideries, and presently, couldn’t think of a more inspiring archive of work than that of Karl Lagerfeld.  Whilst we know much about his infamous work at Chanel, Chloe and Fendi we see less about his early career and we decided to dig deeper. It was a revelation. We found it extremely enlightening and inspiring to discover his early work before he shot in to the limelight.

 In 1958, at age 25, he was appointed head designer of French fashion house Jean Patou. Funnily enough, his early collections for Patou received mixed reviews from the press but he soon made his mark and went on to design ten Haute Couture collections for the brand.


Through our research we came across this incredible embroidered Jean Patou jacket.  The intricate embroidery is entirely made up of abstract thread-work and beads.  The embroidery is classic, elegant and ageless with the distinct aesthetic of Maison Lesage.  Though it was created in the late 50s/ early 60s, this jacket certainly wouldn’t look out of place at today’s Couture week, and it’s this timeless elegance in each and every Lagerfeld creation that really made him the master of Haute Couture.

Jean Patou Haute Couture Embroidered jacket- 1960s.
Image source: www.1stdibs.com
Jean Patou Haute Couture Embroidered Jacket- 1960s.
Image source: www.1stdibs.com

His ability to break boundaries season on season made for a story like no other.  Karl has left such a deep hole in the fashion world and it remains to be seen if any designer will be able to reach such a legendary level of creativity, style and sophistication now or in the future.  His fearless approach to fashion, his respect for and rebellion against traditions, along with his strong work ethic and discipline which enabled him to continue to wow generations of fashionistas and artists across many mediums shall forever inspire and motivate us. We bid Adieu to one of the most talented and dedicated artists that the fashion and design industry has seen. Godspeed Karl.

KarlKarl LagerfeldChanelBeadingEmbroideryJean PatouFendiChloeHaute CoutureFashionFashion Design3D printingGeniusControversialKarl Otto LagerfeldBoucleTweedCoco ChanelDenimRubberFeathersFurLesageMaison LesageParisCouture WeekFashion WeekMarch 07, 2019

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