The Met x Karl Lagerfeld: Simplicissimus Goes To The Met Gala
The facets of Karl Lagerfeld seen through his caricature. (Image: Karl Lagerfeld Confidential Documentary)
Simple Simplicissimus was a simple little guy who came from nothing, found decadence in a newly refined life, then returned to nothing. Away from societal corruption, he found refuge in hermitage.
Simplicity is straightforward. The intricate lines that add complexity to a subject inhabit a blind spot. In this sense, caricatures un-complicate people. Dressing as an embellished version of oneself camouflages inner selves from public percipience. Though the features are exaggerated, the real person is represented in a preserved style.
To celebrate The Met Costume Institute’s exhibition Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty, the Met Gala will honor the designer himself. Who Lagerfeld was, was packaged in a black and white caricature of 18th century styling. The white serpentine ponytail of a French aristocrat. The high collar and tie adding a pyramidal element, appeasing Michelangelo’s rules for art. Black sunglasses to shield what some called gentle eyes. Fingerless gloves to cover what his mother called ugly hands. The Gala attendees will pretend to be Karl as he pretended to be a Menzel painting.
Karl Lagerfeld at a young age was concerned with impeccable dress. (Image: Karl Lagerfeld Confidential Documentary)
The Science
Likeness, exaggeration and style are attributed to classic caricatures. Using generated methods instead of traditional sketches, eases the rendering of the black and white aspects of the caricature. GAN (Generative Adversarial Networks), a subfield of AI, can use image translation methods to retain the style of the original character for a more personalized end-product. Producing high quality caricatures requires several images of the subject and distinctive features. The undesirable aspects, in turn, are minimized.
Finding the perfect caricature through facial landmarks. (Image: Zhao X et al. Frontiers in Neuroscience 2023)
Who Wear What
How should a multi-faceted person like Karl Lagerfeld be interpreted? As artist William Hogarth suggested, the whole of a subject should be considered as not to confuse our imaginations by the sudden introduction of the part that is not in our sightline. The simplest strategy is to use Lagerfeld’s black and white words and views. His love for Simplicissimus guides #TeamKarl in a veritable honor.
Simplicissimus dictates fashion. (Image: Year 1 Page 280)
Tom Rakewell
Who doesn’t like a morning levée? Reinvent yourself in a morning coat and slippers as any fashionable socialite would. Karl reinvented himself multiple times until his final caricature was established. Bring your mother as a plus one and tell everyone she’s from the aristocracy.
The Rake’s Progress II- The Levée might be akin to #TeamKarl. (Image: The Tate)
Tax-Evading Monegasque
An ode to the ‘80’s when socialism’s high taxes forced KL to Monaco. Borrow AOC’s Tax the Rich dress from 2021’s Met Gala. Hey, don’t call her a hypocrite. She was actually painting NYC red with the wealthy. Thank Chris Rock for clarifying the difference.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez at the 2021 Met Gala in a “Tax the Rich” gown. It was later revealed that the Representative had not paid the “servants” for that day. (Image: Getty)
Unmarried Gay Parents
But make it female because, according to “genius” Karl, only lesbians should be able to be married with children. Apparently, stay-at-home dads are unimaginable. Don't get mad at me. He said it.
Karl Lagerfeld expressed his support for France’s passing of gay marriage during the Chanel 2013 show. (Image: Vogue France)
A Nonstarter
Slip into sweatpants because, as Karl deduced, you’ve given up on life. Pair them with a special edition Met x Karl button down shirt. But only if you’re a size 6 or under because ‘nobody wants to see curvy’. Sizes 8 and 10 are sold-out anyway.
Karl Lagerfeld Hotel sweatpants in lieu of Give Up On Life sweatpants. (Image: Karl.com)
The Met Museum special edition Karl Lagerfeld shirt. (Image: Karl.com)
A Pillow
Wear it on the belly à la Karl while jet-setting. He proclaimed it helped him rest. Resist the urge to take a nap by drinking 10 cans of Diet Coke.
Karl Lagerfeld with a companion pillow. (Image: Karl Lagerfeld Confidential Documentary)
KL’s love of Coca-Cola on full display. (Image: Karl Lagerfeld Confidential Documentary)
A Frankfurter
Honor KL’s favorite food. Karl insisted a colleague try a frankfurter even though he had lost a lot of weight to fit into Heidi Slimane-designed clothes. Katy Perry must have one in her closet next to her hamburger costume.
Tom Ford detested this Katy Perry hamburger look for the Camp-themed Met Gala in 2019. (Image: Public domain)
A “Fat Mummy”
His words, not mine. Carry a bag of potato chips and scream at thin models. Find a Balenciaga Lays purse. KL memorized their historical collections despite always creating something different as not to be boring.
A Balenciaga model carries a Lays purse during their Summer 2023 show. (Image: Balenciaga)
Ozempic
Karl was consumed with the future. He took the old school method of losing 90 pounds through sensible eating. But that took an entire year. Show him how to speed up the process in today’s instantaneous society.
Ozempic delivery pen. (Image: Ozempic)
Whether attendees, viewers, or visitors understand the depth of the honoree or his work, is a line drawn on the Met’s steps.
Looking at in black and white, Karl really did live a simple life. He worked to earn money. Lagerfeld chose loneliness over marriage because, according to him, it would have distracted from the work. His work and caricature reflected his life and experiences, including as a “fat” person, a gay man, and a boy with father issues.
The satirical art by William Hogarth aligns with the caricature Karl Lagerfeld created for himself to live with the world. Thus, providing the perfect opportunity to address Lagerfeld’s words and views. Though they were alike in the art, their backgrounds were contrasts. Hogarth grew up poor and Lagerfeld rich. Questioning authoritarian refinement, Hogarth taunted extravagant French-styled aristocrats who blew the inheritance lottery, while Lagerfeld dressed as one, remained modest, and never questioned because he set the rules. Of significance in interpreting style, both Hogarth and Lagerfeld embraced modernity and used social change in their work.
The Met Gala serves the perfect stage for this bourgeois drama marrying Hogarth and Lagerfeld. Modern morals span biology to philosophy and economics, providing a plethora of inspiration. Hogarth originated the concept of “modern moral subjects” in which his art put forth depictions of morality in in terms of choices in the face of extravagant living, including unnecessary expenditures on art, fashion and services. His views on economic virtues were also shaped by his father who was imprisoned for debt- teacher salaries back then were equally lamentable.
The reported ticket price of this year’s Met Gala is $40,000 per plate. Farceur Tina Fey deems it an excessive ‘jerk parade’. The moral of this story is unclear. We are sure that funds raised by the charity event to preserve and provide art is simply welcome.
“At The Gates of Heaven” by Simplicissimus. The translation is loosely “Miss, you can’t enter the narrow gate with these wide sleeves!” (Image: Year 1 page 12)
BOTTOM LINE
Fashion allows us to express our feelings and communicate our personalities to the world we encounter daily. Drawing from Hogarth and Lagerfeld, the caricatures of the first Monday in May are sure to excite the eye like a serpentine line. It is a night to celebrate art and the contribution of art to fashion. Fashion to art? All are invited whether on the Met steps or on your front stoop.