Lagerfeld’s Affair with Hip Hop It’s

It’s not coincidental that his year’s Met Gala was inspired by the revolutionary icon Karl Lagerfeld and it’s the 50th year celebration of Hip Hop. All fashionistas know that Hip Hop impacted the fashion world in a big way! Truth is, that he had a long relationship with hip-hop.

Karl Lagerfeld once said, “What I enjoy most is doing something I’ve never done before.”

The icon spent over six decades as a fashion designer who influenced and helped to defined brands like Fendi and Chanel which grew their popularity amongst younger generations. Lagerfeld created Fendi’s famous “FF” and Chanel’s “double C”logos. He transformed Chanel from a lethargic brand known in the world for its fragrances into one of the s most recognizable luxury labels. His gift perhaps was his insight regarding the value of transforming runways into spectacles, always something bigger than life. Who can forget that he called in 265-ton icebergs or launched actual rockets into space for his show sets. He will forever be known for his unquestionable impact on fashion. That same insight made him a visionary with the ability to weave youth culture with tradition crafting a blend of the old with the new while evolving to become a prolific designer.

Rappers like Cam’ron and Nicki Minaj have name-dropped Lagerfeld in their songs. Aside from being associated with some of the world’s finest luxury labels, Lagerfeld understood the influence of hip-hop early on.

Taking notes from hip-hop and Black designers like Dapper Dan, Lagerfeld arguably ushered in the Golden Age of Chanel with the brand’s ready-to-wear collection in 1991 on the runway the collection was an acknowledgment that times were changing, and so was Chanel. “Rappers tell the truth—that’s what’s needed now,” Lagerfeld remarked backstage after the show.

Lagerfeld embraced his interest in hiphop aesthetics and kept diving deeper into the genre. Chanel’s Spring 1994 ready-to-wear collection amplified the hip-hop “theme” he explored previously by approaching his designs with streetwear in mind.

He was one of Ye’s cherished designers.

By C.L.

Their relationship began with Ye’s famous Paris Fashion Week trip in 2009, where both rapper and designer posed for photos together. A couple years later in 2011, Lagerfeld was chosen to shoot an iconic Kanye cover for VMAN, capturing Ye with his money literally where his mouth is. In the issue, Lagerfeld commented on Ye saying, “His strength is mixing music and fashion. He has an instant instinct for what looks and sounds good. He makes everything new and different.” Though the 2012 rumored that Ye was going to collaborate with Lagerfeld on clothing that never happened, the two continued a creative relationship.

Fashion forward rap artist Theophilus London developed close relationships with Ye and Virgil Abloh during early 2010, when he caught the attention of Karl Lagerfeld. The creatives first met each other when Lagerfeld published The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited in 2012. The book was a collaborative project with Carine Roitfeld, which featured various celebrities wearing Chanel’s iconic little black jacket. London was one of the celebs, shot by Lagerfeld for the book. Two years later, London Lagerfeld would shoot the cover of London’s his Vibes album. Finally, we’d be remiss if we did not mention Pharrell Williams, now Creative Director of LV when discussing Lagerfeld’s legacy. Pharrell says he and Lagerfeld’s close relationship emerged, they’d run into the designer at events or at the Mercer Hotel in New York City frequently. Note: he was a stylish producer that caught Lagerfeld’s eye. In 2011, Pharrell went viral for customizing a black pair of Timbs by adding Chanel’s quintessential “Double C” logo to the toe box. The two teamed up to make “Reincarnation,” a movie for Chanel’s Pre-Fall 2015 campaign featuring an original song by Pharrell called “CC The World.” Pharrell was cast as the dashing porter who woos model Cara Delevingne. In 2017, he walked Chanel’s runway show during Paris Fashion Week and became the first man to ever star in a Chanel Handbag campaign. Pharrell also scored a deal with Adidas Hu NMD and Chanel’s collaboration that same year, which was limited to just 500 pairs and lived up to be one of the most hyped NMDs ever released. Pharrell walked another Chanel runway show in 2018 which was followed with an announcement that the house would release a capsule collection with Pharrell in 2019. Sadly, Lagerfeld died weeks before the collaboration was released. It is duly noted that Lagerfeld recognized the genius of Pharrell and all because of Hip Hop.