Karl Lagerfeld likes to articulate his seasonal message through a theatrical setting. If the audience wasn’t convinced of this winter’s arctic riff from the polar bear invite and press kits on each seat, then the glacial 265-ton iceberg (specially imported from Sweden) standing 28 feet tall and abundance of faux fur in everything from coats to hot pants, certainly rammed home the message loud and clear. Cheekily put, this was arctic dressing for those concerned about the melting polar ice caps. Neat and schoolish, the arctic theme naturally meant an abundance of cozy outerwear including fur capes, tailored military tweed, a series of tight-fitting leather jackets with fur pelmets and floor-length fur coats for evening. The faux furs (Karl said he saved the real furs for Fendi, the other line he designs) that were central to the collection also arrived as all-over fur skirts, trousers, jackets and even micro shorts.
Knitwear was also a principle focus and key pieces included sweater dresses in rustic grey patchworks or super soft degradé angora, knitted knickerbockers, below-the-knee tube skirts and sweaters with oversized turtle necks. The house tweeds were, of course, everywhere and arrived in wide-leg all-in-ones, wool fringed skirt suits and dolly dresses. For evening, a plethora of textured white cocktail dresses with semi-sheer knit bodies elaborately decorated with tufted fur, organza floral appliqué, beaded embroideries or wool loops and strings. This being one of the world’s top accessories houses, naturally shoes and bags took center stage. Yeti boots and furry ankle boots with Perspex heels resembling carved ice blocks, leather toe-capped tall tweed boots with clog rivets dominated the footwear while bags ran the gamut from signature tweed messenger bags to furry pochettes, snowball fur evening bag, signature chain-handled 2.55 bags (some decorated with Perspex ice cubes) and the must-have novelty hot-water bottle carriers.
