"The most important thing to remember is to dress appropriately for your environment. Don’t be too overdressed or under-dressed."
Fashion — Aug 28
If there’s one thing that connects Karl Lagerfeld and Olivia Palermo — apart from a shared love of black and white — it’s a nonpareil work ethic. When the two joined forces to co-design the KARL LAGERFELD X Olivia Palermo collection, attention to detail and universal wardrobe essentials were key. It’s in the finer details, like the peplum on a shirt or the tuxedo details of a two-piece suit, that the trans-Atlantic elements of their partnership come to life. But, if you ask Palermo, the idea started with a classic button-down shirt (bien sûr).
“One day, I was dressed in an iconic KARL button-down and thought, Wouldn’t it be a great idea if we collaborated on a collection that could infuse our two signature styles? We connected on working together in an official capacity and let our joint creativity guide the conversation from there.”
“I’ve always had admiration for Karl and been a fan of his brand,”
That creativity led to a 24-piece collection — including five additional pieces that Palermo designed herself, like a leather jacket that reads FOREVER KARL and KARL STATE OF MIND on the front and back. For a dose of femininity, look for rhinestone renderings of Lagerfeld and Palermo’s silhouettes, as well, adhered to T-shirts and a sweatshirt.
Throughout their collaboration, the native New Yorker sought to preserve Parisian classics associated with Lagerfeld’s design aesthetic, while adding her own experiences from her world travels to inform her edit for the collection. KARL LAGERFELD X Olivia Palermo includes leather biker pants and a jacket to match (a staple in any New Yorker’s closet), a houndstooth tailored suit, a maxi dress-bomber jacket hybrid that adds an athletic element to the lineup, a jumpsuit, a matching boucle short and coat set, denim culottes, and much more. The campaign shoot, photographed by Chris Colls, sees Palermo in her self-styled creations.
“Commercially speaking, there’s a lot out there that looks the same,” Palermo says on how she keeps herself inspired (as for who inspires her, she looks to those around her — from friends to colleagues). “I look to editorials in magazines worldwide; I look at what’s in the market and what’s not in the market. That gives me a better direction for my own brand and what I want to do.”
“I'm very hands-on. I try to manage every detail of every element,"
Launching on June 27th — in KARL LAGERFELD stores, online at KARL.COM and OliviaPalermo.com, as well as premium wholesale partners worldwide — the collection is an extension of Palermo’s approach to her personal style, which she describes as eclectic, tailored, and polished. Thanks to the Palermo touch, and sportswear options on-hand that she edited from sketch to finish (“we combined [chiffon] with spandex and some transparency for a chic yet functional feel”), it’s KARL LAGERFELD’s most sophisticated collection yet.
“I'm very hands-on. I try to manage every detail of every element. I do make sure to ask for the input of those around me though as experts in their fields, but always stick to my instincts. And it was a true honor to work with the KARL LAGERFELD brand and his incredible team. Not many people have the chance to do this, so I’m fortunate and grateful to be a part of the few.”
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