An Appreciation of the Late Karl Lagerfeld’s Lesser-Known Photography
Karl Lagerfeld‘s death at age 85 this week marked the end of an era—and not just because of the iconic designer’s many contributions to and Andy Warhol-esque status in fashion. Season after season, Lagerfeld was responsible for the most artfully constructed runways to be found at Fashion Week. It was through photography, though, that his artistic eye really shone through, as Galerie Gmurzynska, which has been showing Lagerfeld’s work since 1996, took care to demonstrate this week via an impromptu exhibition of more than two decades’ worth of his work in honor of his photographic legacy. As Chanel’s creative director of 36 years—and Fendi’s, of 54 years—it’s no surprise that Lagerfeld took his fair share of fashion photography and celebrity portraits, with subjects ranging from Nicole Kidman to Naomi Campbell. But Lagerfeld, whose lifelong obsession with sketching outlasted even that of his love of fashion, also never forgot his devotion to the fine arts, as showcased in his tributes to artists like Lyonel Feininger that are among the 50-plus works featured in “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” which is now on view at Gmurzynska’s gallery in Zurich through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, from the series “Body Parts,” 1998. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Blanca Li, from the series “Body Parts,” 1998. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Nicole Kidman, 1995. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Lüstern aber schüchtern, 1997. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Karl Lagerfeld, May 1995. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Untitled, June 1996. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, from the series “Eiffel-Turm,” 2010. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Die Drei und der rote Pfosten, Serie Hommage an Lyonel Feininger, 1997. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Gone with the Wind, 1996. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, from the series “Body Parts,” 1998. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Homage to Yves Klein, 2001. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Pamela Anderson, 2002. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Untitled, June 1996. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
Karl Lagerfeld, Benicio del Toro (Hollywood Stars), 2002. Featured in the exhibition “Homage To Karl Lagerfeld, 30 Years of Photography,” on view at Galerie Gmurzynska through May 15, 2019.
