Ensemble
Since becoming creative director at Chanel in 1983, Karl Lagerfeld has consistently demonstrated an affinity for exploiting the iconography of the house. Over the years, he has regularly mined the archives, transposing a modern viewpoint onto classic looks. This ensemble represents a masterful subversion of one of fashion’s most enduring status symbols: the Chanel tweed suit. In contrast to the tidy bouclé and tweeds favored by Coco Chanel, Lagerfeld’s expertly tailored ensemble appears to be made from a field of tattered cloth, suggesting allusions as diverse as moths, punk, and Japanese design. Upon close inspection, all the hallmarks of a Chanel creation are in place, including the equal amounts of attention bestowed on the inside and outside of the garment. Each hole is backed with fine net, and the edges are delicately stitched to prevent unintentional fraying.
Artwork Details
- Title: Ensemble
- Design House: House of Chanel (French, founded 1910)
- Designer: Karl Lagerfeld (French (born Germany), Hamburg 1933–2019 Paris)
- Date: spring/summer 2011
- Culture: French
- Medium: cotton, acrylic, nylon, polyester, leather, metal
- Credit Line: Gift of CHANEL, 2013
- Object Number: 2013.157.1a–h
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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