KARL LAGERFELD HONORED WITH SPECIAL AWARD

At the end of his fabulous fall Haute Couture show for Chanel, which drew a standing ovation, Karl Lagerfeld received the Grand Vermeil medal, the highest honor Paris can offer, consigned by the city’s Mayor Anne Hidalgo with a deep and heartfelt speech. Lagerfeld unveiled his couture line-up under a replica of the Eiffel Tower in the Grand Palais with a star-studded front row that included Kristen Stewart, Julianne Moore, Tilda Swinton, Katy Perry, Claudia Schiffer and Cara Delevingne. Even by Lagerfeld’s standards the set was impressive with guests sitting under the imposing structure complete with the tower’s curlicues, glass and ironwork. Recently, Lagerfeld has been very proactive in wooing tourists, high-spending visitors and the international press back to Paris following the terrorist attacks that crippled the city’s affluence. In that light, the creative genius held six shows in a row in the French capital including the last Cruise show in May. Ultimately Lagerfeld wants to manifest his attachment to the city, its importance for fashion and its role as a major source of inspiration for his imagination.