Maison Karl Lagerfeld Announces Collaboration with Carine Roitfeld
The Maison KARL LAGERFELD is pleased to announce its collaboration with 2019 CFDA Founder’s Award honoree, Carine Roitfeld, who will act as Style Advisor of KARL LAGERFELD, effective immediately for the next three seasons. Roitfeld is renowned for her forward-thinking, innovative fashion expertise and immense creative experience as an editor, stylist, fashion director, and entrepreneur. She will join forces with the KARL LAGERFELD Maison and is entrusted to interpret the inspiring genius and legacy which Karl Lagerfeld leaves behind.
“I am blessed and thankful for having had the opportunity to work with Karl for so many years—we shared not only a professional relationship but a deep friendship,” said Carine Roitfeld. “He will always be a legend, who redefined the notions of fashion, photography, and celebrity. It is my honor to collaborate with his namesake brand as Style Advisor, carrying out his iconic vision for the upcoming three seasons.”
In recent months, Roitfeld has become an increasingly integral contributor to Karl Lagerfeld’s namesake brand, for unique projects such as THE EDIT BY CARINE ROITFELD (available in September 2019) and more to come. The first collection to launch under her purview will be for Spring 2020; Karl Lagerfeld initiated the season celebrating the Bauhaus style—one of his favorite time periods and artistic movements. In addition to advising on KARL LAGERFELD’s next three collections, Roitfeld will continue to lead all CR-brand endeavors with her son and business partner, Vladimir Restoin-Roitfeld, including the upcoming May 6 launch of CARINE ROITFELD PARFUMS; her namesake magazines CR Fashion Book and CR Men; as well as their successful creative production agency, CR Studio.
Throughout their careers, Roitfeld and Karl Lagerfeld worked together on numerous photography and styling projects, and they co-published a book titled The Little Black Jacket. In 2004, they were visionaries who led a groundbreaking collaboration between Karl Lagerfeld and fashion magnate H&M, though Roitfeld’s involvement was undisclosed at the time. The innovative project has had enduring effects on the fashion industry and revolutionized how brands approach collaborations.
“It has been incredibly inspiring to work with Karl for so many years; in his true forward-thinking spirit that we experienced every day, we will carry his extraordinary vision into the future with the same passion and pioneering mindset he showed us,” said Pier Paolo Righi, CEO of KARL LAGERFELD. “We already have a powerful design team in place, which was established by Karl, including Design Director Hun Kim who was appointed directly by Karl. Combined with Carine’s talent as a Style Advisor, we will celebrate Karl’s iconic design aesthetic and bring it to life.”
Hun Kim will continue to oversee design teams and be responsible for collection design. He was appointed directly by Karl Lagerfeld, several years ago, and they developed a close relationship and trusted rapport. In the journey of collection design, Hun Kim gained Karl Lagerfeld’s absolute confidence for his clever, progressive pointof- view and creative mind. “A collaborative spirit was at the heart of Karl’s work ethic, and we will continue to embrace this mentality within our collections and the way we work together,” said Hun Kim, Design Director at KARL LAGERFELD. “As a team, we will honor his endless creative vision while advancing KARL LAGERFELD collections with a modern spirit.”