Why The 2023 Met Gala Is Themed After Karl Lagerfeld

Controversial opinions or not, Karl Lagerfeld is a fashion legend. In a career spanning over 60 years, the designers who like his achromatic uniform had unshakeable convictions on what fashion is, for decades, has always been a part of fashion conversation while redefining fashion in his own way.

Before he died in 2019 at age 85, the German-born fashion designer worked for brands like Balmain, Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel — as well as his eponymous brand. He was particularly known for being the creative powerhouse behind the modern revival of Chanel, a fashion brand he headed for over three decades.

He explored and exploited couture and ready-to-wear while being a genius at pastiche, especially with his work at Chanel. Despite his numerous achievements, Lagerfeld also earned a reputation for being openly fat-phobic, criticising the #MeToo movement, calling people ‘ugly,’ speaking against LGBTQ rights and migrants.

It’s not difficult to see why a lot of people in the fashion industry and outside of it would have a problem with the 2023 MET Gala being themed “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”

If you are new to the fashion industry and you have no idea why the first Monday of May is reserved for the MET Gala, well, it’s simple: The Met Gala is an annual fundraising gala held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. This year it will celebrate the opening of the Costume Institute’s spring 2023 exhibition, “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.”

So if you were to ask why the MET chose to honour Karl’s legacy despite his unbridled tongue, you can trace it down to the fact that he is a fashion legend who has spent 65 years redefining fashion for several generations.

“Karl Lagerfeld was one of the most captivating, prolific, and recognizable forces in fashion and culture, known as much for his extraordinary designs and tireless creative output as for his legendary persona,” said Max Hollein, Marina Kellen French Director of The Met.

“This immersive exhibition will unpack his singular artistic practice, inviting the public to experience an essential part of Lagerfeld’s boundless imagination and passion for innovation,” he added.

Whether Karl Lagerfeld deserves the honour is debatable, but The MET has chosen to honour him, and we cannot but follow the theme.