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The Observer
25.08.19 AgendaThe Simone Lia cartoon
The grid
Illustrations capture
the preparations for
Karl Lagerfeld’s last
show for Chanel
After meeting Karl Lagerfeld several times
over the years, artist Jean-Philippe Delhomme
was invited to go behind the scenes of his
celebrated fashion house to capture the
run-up to its spring/summer 2019 show for
Chanel: The Making of a Collection (3 Sept,
Abrams). With illustrations that chart the
process from concept to runway, Delhomme
says he set out to “paint the unknown worker
of a button factory with as much attention
as the models and public fi gures”. Sadly,
Lagerfeld died on the day the book went to
press but while working on it Delhomme
was struck by how much his employees
loved him. “There were drawings by Karl
everywhere, on walls, taped on sewing
machines. Everybody was making the best
out of their own practice for him.” Laura Potier