Purse

Karl Lagerfeld|Karl Lagerfeld

1984–89 · synthetic, cotton, metal · Costume Institute

Karl Lagerfeld launched his namesake label in 1984 after working for Balmain, Patou, Chloé, and just following his premier collection for Chanel. In this design, he transforms one of his signature accessories, the fan, into a small purse. The fan became a trademark for the Lagerfeld brand in the 1980s, printed on textiles and molded into jewelry and the KL perfume bottle. The Surrealist conceit of displacement has been a consistent feature of his work since.

Artist

Karl Lagerfeld|Karl Lagerfeld

Date

1984–89

Medium

synthetic, cotton, metal

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Alfred Z. Soloman-Janet A. Sloane Endowment Fund, 2013