Looking Back, Designing Forward: Karl Lagerfeld and Fashion History

Join us for a conversation about German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld and “Paris Couture.” Christophe Koné, a professor of German at Williams College, will put some of Karl Lagerfeld’s designs for Chloé & Chanel in context with works from the exhibition, showcasing the designer’s great knowledge of fashion history and how he looked at past designers to create modern fashion.

Free tickets available October 19.

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Christophe Koné is an associate professor of German and the director of the Oakley Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences at Williams College in Massachusetts.

He holds a master’s in German studies from Université Lumière, Lyon 2, France and a PhD in German studies from Rutgers University. His research interests include German romanticism, modernism, film studies, art history, comics, modern dance, and fashion studies.

Koné is the author of Uncanny Creatures: Doll Thinking in Modern German Culture, published by the University of Michigan Press (July 2024). He’s currently writing a book on Karl Lagerfeld, the late German-born fashion designer and long-standing creative director of Chanel.