Claudia Schiffer, Inès de la Fressange The Muses of Karl Lagerfeld

By Mélody ThomasAphelandra Siassia

© Chanel Haute Couture Fall-Winter 96/97

There was Claudia Schiffer "The greatest top model", Kate Moss, Inès de la Fressange whom he had nicknamed "the talking model". Not to mention the celebrities he has posed for the fashion house, from Diane Kruger to Julianne Moore and Kristen Stewart. And others that he imposed, not without facetiousness in an industry that often judges at first glance. Among these unexpected personalities: Lilly Allen or Miley Cyrus.

Ines de la Fressange

She was undoubtedly his first muse. The former model and designer, now an archetypal Parisian, was spotted at the age of 26 by the designer, recognizing in her the stature of a Coco Chanel. For 6 years, between 83 and 89, she paraded for the house and was the image of several advertising campaigns. From this collaboration will be born a new status, that of ambassador, because by her accessible aura, she creates more proximity with all the clients.

This partnership comes to an abrupt end when the young woman decides to pose as Marianne against the advice of her mentor. These two longtime friends will eventually reconcile in the early 2010s, when Inès de la Fressange will parade for the spring-summer 2011 show.

Carine Roitfeld

The former editor-in-chief of Vogue France, Carine Roitfeld, and Karl Lagerfeld were longtime friends. The two acolytes have continued to collaborate, each time presenting more daring projects than the other. From various styling partnerships to the publication of a book, The Little Black Jacket, a classic revisited, these two iconic figures have over time revealed a common conception of fashion, based on the enhancement of a classic repertoire while by integrating the codes of modernity. Some time ago, they even announced what now turns out to be their very last collaboration for the designer's eponymous brand: a collection, made up of the brand's key pieces, selected by the former editor and whose we will see the result in the fall of 2019.

Carla Bruni

At the age of 19, Carla Bruni joined the circle of top models, adored by the public and solicited by the greatest fashion designers of the time. She will be chosen by Karl Lagerfeld to parade on behalf of the French fashion house. Although she ended her modeling career in 1997, she continued to honor the creations of the German designer during her many travels. Moved by the designer's death, she shared three photos on her Instagram account accompanied by the following message: "Dear Karl, thank you for all these sparks. Thank you for bringing so much beauty and lightness to this heavy world, so many colors in this grayness, so much spirit in this extinct era. I don't think you would have liked too many tears, too many flowers or crowns, but we will miss you very much. To me, as to the whole world."

Catherine Deneuve

If the actress Catherine Deneuve is known to have been the muse and friend of Yves Saint Laurent, she was also one of Chanel's muses. She was even one of the first to represent the iconic Chanel N°5 fragrance in the 1970s, for almost 10 years. The campaign, shot by the famous Helmut Newton, will tour the United States.

Claudia Schiffer

Among Chanel's top models, there is the sculptural Claudia Schiffer. Throughout the 90s, the German model and actress was marked by her look, the parades of the label. Karl Lagerfeld will even say of her in an interview with Le Monde: "If I had to fight the Trojan War, Claudia would be my Hélène". If the two partners fall out following a Fanta advertising campaign that the model agrees to do, Claudia Schiffer and Karl Lagerfeld will eventually reconcile in 2007, when she will parade for the label's cruise collection.

Kristen McMenamy

Iconic model, the top Kristen McMenamy has yet struggled to find a place in the fashion world. But as early as the 1990s, creators fought to hire it, so much was its beauty, disturbing and magnetic, fascinating. In 2010, Karl Lagerfeld made the model his new muse. She then took part in the spring-summer 2011 haute couture show and closed the 2012 Cruise show organized in Cap d'Antibes.

Stella Tennant

Androgynous allure and diaphanous complexion, Stella Tennant was one of the leading models of the 90s. In 1996, she became the muse of Karl Lagerfeld who signed her exclusively within the Chanel house. She will also mark the spirits during the parade for spring / summer 96 where she appears in a swimsuit that is much more of a nipple cover. Karl Lagerfeld will say of her that she is: "The face and the attitude of our time. She does not correspond to the glamor of the 90s. She is truly a beauty for the end of the century". If the model put an end to her career at the age of 26, she has since returned to the catwalks by parading, of course for Karl Lagerfeld, in 2012 during the Chanel Métiers d'Art show but also in the spring- summer 2019 for Ferragamo, Victoria Beckham and Burberry.

Kate Moss

Kate Moss was also part of the gang of Chanel muses. More discreet than other muses on the catwalks, she will nevertheless remain one of the label's major icons. For Karl Lagerfeld, the twig, “even if it is far from perfect, is more attractive than the others. her and no one else. Their relationship will not come to an end until the setbacks of the top which will put her out of fashion before being raised again by Alexander McQueen.

Audrey Marnay

Audrey Marnay was only 15 when she walked the catwalk for the first time for Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. Very quickly, she became one of the fashionable tops, requested by the greatest designers, from Miuccia Prada to Dolce & Gabbana without forgetting Karl Lagerfeld, attracted by her candid gaze and her slender silhouette. Today, if she has moved away from the catwalks, she retains a great affection for the house on rue Cambon, which she even describes as family.

Vanessa Paradis

It was in 1991 that Karl Lagerfeld recruited singer and actress Vanessa Paradis to become Chanel's muse. She will be the image of several campaigns, such as this magnificent advertising film directed by Jean-Paul Goude, in which we discover her in a large golden cage, like a little baby bird ready to take flight. Today, even if her daughter seems to have taken over, Vanessa Paradis remains one of the iconic muses of the French house.

Caroline de Maigret

Parisian icon par excellence, Caroline de Maigret has also been one of Karl Lagerfeld's muses for several years. In 2014, the designer even called on her to be one of these models. She was then 39 years old and at the time, catwalk models rarely exceeded the 30 mark. Today, even if Caroline de Maigret no longer parades, she remains one of the brand's flagship ambassadors, present at each home event.

Cara Delevingne

Beautiful story of friendship that that of Cara Delevingne and Karl Lagerfeld. The two acolytes quickly become fond of each other as the young woman begins her modeling career. Very quickly, she is on all the parades and becomes one of the muses of the brand at just 20 years old. "Cara represents the modern It Girl. She's full of life, full of energy. I like girls who are wild, beautiful and funny all at the same time." explained the cantor of sewing with tenderness. In 2014, she will be the bride of the Spring Summer 2014 Haute Couture show, wearing a long, flowing, slightly transparent white dress and a feather headdress.

Kendall Jenner

For the past few seasons, the model Kendall Jenner has also joined the closed circle of Karl Lagerfeld's muses. In 2015, the designer chose the model, already the brand's muse, for the presentation of his spring-summer 2016 collection at the Grand Palais, transformed for the occasion into an airport terminal. During the show, the young woman led the dance, dressed in a tweed ensemble, jacket and pencil skirt, a pair of silver mittens and tinted aviator glasses.

Lily Rose Depp

From an early age, the muse and model Lily-Rose Depp rubbed shoulders with the designer, who over the years has become one of her close friends. The young woman, affectionately nicknamed Choupette by the designer, even closed the brand's spring-summer 2017 fashion show in January 2017, wearing a majestic powder pink wedding dress.

Kaia Gerber

Last recruit of the house of the rue Cambon, the young Kaia Gerber, daughter of the top Cindy Crawford. Becoming the face of the advertising campaign for a range of brand handbags, she was quickly enlisted as a catwalk model. Since then, the young woman has been on all the shows. In January 2018, she paraded for the presentation of the Spring-Summer 2018 Haute Couture collection, wearing a superb baby pink dress, crossed with feather details on the sleeves and the bottom of the piece.