Paris Fashion Week: Dior show pays homage to the late Karl Lagerfeld

One guest described the tribute as 'classy'

(AFP/Getty Images)

Paris Fashion Week opened today with the Christian Dior AW19 show that saw a special tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld, who died in the French capital last week at the age of 85.

Guests at the show, who included Jennifer Lawrence and Cara Delevingne, were each greeted with a special note on their seat that read: “In homage to the alchemist of elegance and beauty, Karl Lagerfeld” in both French and English.

Lagerfeld was creative director at Chanel, Fendi and his own namesake brand when he died and was revered within the industry, so much so that he acquired the nickname “Kaiser” Karl.

Dior’s artistic director, Maria Grazia Chiuri, described him as “the original creative the director” in an interview with Vogue ahead of the brand's autumn/winter 2019 show, which took place in the Musée Rodin.

On the day that his death was announced, Dior posted a photograph of Chiuri and Lagerfeld on the label's instagram account alongside a mournful caption that included a statement from Chiuri.

"I was extremely saddened to hear of Karl Lagerfeld's passing," it begins.

"He was such an emblematic personality, an icon with whom I had the immense good fortune of working early in my career, at Fendi.

"I appreciated his culture, directness and humour and admired his creations for the free and modern vision of fashion he offered women. We will miss him terribly and my thoughts especially go out to his teams at Fendi and Chanel."

Though Lagerfeld was renowned for many things – namely: his cat, Choupette, his optic white hair and his acerbic sound bites – but he was best-known for his work at Chanel, where he had been at the helm for more than thirty years.

The luxury French fashion house will debut its AW19 collection in Paris on Tuesday 5 March.

Naturally, rumours of a special tribute to the late designer are rife.