2010 Couture Council Fashion Visionary Award: Karl Lagerfeld
The Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) honored Karl Lagerfeld with a special award on Friday, September 10th at a benefit luncheon at Avery Fisher Hall, New York City. Dr. Valerie Steele, director of The Museum at FIT, announced, "In recognition of his unparalleled role as a creative force in the world of fashion, we have chosen to bestow on Karl Lagerfeld, The Couture Council Fashion Visionary Award. This unique award was created exclusively for Karl Lagerfeld. Since his arrival at Chanel in 1983, Karl Lagerfeld has brought the company to the forefront of innovation and creativity and has continuously maintained Chanel's position as the most coveted fashion label in the world. Not only is Lagerfeld an inimitable designer, he is also an acclaimed photographer, publisher, renowned collector, and a true connoisseur."
View photos from the event on Flickr
Past recipients of The Couture Council Artistry of Fashion Award are Dries Van Noten (2009), Isabel Toledo (2008), Alber Elbaz (2007), and FIT alumnus Ralph Rucci (2006). In 2008, Giorgio Armani received a special award for Global Fashion Leadership.
Karl Lagerfeld was chosen to receive The Couture Council Fashion Visionary Award by the Couture Council Advisory Committee, an independent group consisting of curators, editors, and retailers. Members include Pamela Golbin, curator of the Musée de la Mode; Akiko Fukai, director and chief curator of the Kyoto Costume Institute; Glenda Bailey, editor-in-chief of Harpers Bazaar; Hamish Bowles, European editor-at-large of Vogue; Ken Downing, fashion director of Neiman Marcus; Linda Fargo, senior vice president of Bergdorf Goodman; and Julie Gilhart, fashion director of Barneys, New York, among others. Dr. Steele chairs the Couture Council Advisory Committee.
FIT president, Dr. Joyce F. Brown, noted, "Karl Lagerfeld epitomizes the highest level of design genius and is a source of tremendous influence and inspiration for our students. His multi-faceted career provides a road map for all who aspire to be unbounded in their artistic endeavors. We are so very pleased to give The Couture Council Fashion Visionary Award to Mr. Lagerfeld."