Purse

Designer Karl Lagerfeld French, born Germany

1984–89

Not on view

Karl Lagerfeld launched his namesake label in 1984 after working for Balmain, Patou, Chloé, and just following his premier collection for Chanel. In this design, he transforms one of his signature accessories, the fan, into a small purse. The fan became a trademark for the Lagerfeld brand in the 1980s, printed on textiles and molded into jewelry and the KL perfume bottle. The Surrealist conceit of displacement has been a consistent feature of his work since.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Title: Purse
Design House: Karl Lagerfeld (French, founded 1984)
Designer: Karl Lagerfeld (French (born Germany), Hamburg 1933–2019 Paris)
Date: 1984–89
Culture: French
Medium: synthetic, cotton, metal
Credit Line: Alfred Z. Soloman-Janet A. Sloane Endowment Fund, 2013
Object Number: 2013.592a, b
Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute

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late 19th or early 20th century

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