COOL HAND KARL
Karl Lagerfeld’s well has never run dry. He can put together a little something for Chanel, change gears for Fendi, whip up a little couture now and again, then turn on a dime and do his Lagerfeld Gallery line. On mannequins at his gallery on Rue de Seine, Lagerfeld showed 30 or so looks for Lagerfeld Gallery, including a delicate pink knit top puckered just so and shown with a black spiraling bias skirt, its layers falling away delicately like flower petals. But this was no one-note production. He also showed intricately cut cocktail dresses and a strong belted leather coat, each big on detail and full of personality. The fall collection is his second dry run with the line. It isn’t yet for sale, but Lagerfeld hopes to have it produced by next season and to sell it in a downtown gallery space in New York — not in stores.
“I don’t believe in department stores anymore for selling signature collections,” he said. “They don’t do anything for us, why should we do something for them?”