14 DAY TRIAL // Karl Lagerfeld may be one of the most influential fashion designers of the past 50 years - however, his passion for exclusive, sophisticated high-end couture doesn't prevent him from getting involved in a series of very interesting initiatives. Despite being an iconic figure for such brands as Chanel and Fendi, Lagerfeld was not afraid to design clothes for high street giant H&M and get involved in a series of other initiatives that came in blatant contrast with his refined tastes in elite fashion. And yet, his appeal remains constant and his trademark image is still seen by the vast majority of us as indefinably cool and chic.
However, what would be your immediate reaction if you were to see a photo of the popular designer wearing a yellow light-reflecting vest on top of his elegant black suit? You would probably imagine that the 74 year-old fashion icon was losing it - or else experimenting with an innovative, pop art kitsch style for some Andy Warhol-esque grunge revival. Or maybe suspect a Marc Jacobs-style ad for some hidden purpose or another. Well, we'd all be justified in making those assumptions - but we'd be plain wrong. All Lagerfeld is doing in sporting the yellow vest is star in a road safety ad campaign encouraging French drivers to wear light-reflecting clothing when traveling at night.
So, take a black suit, trademark fingerless gloves and black sunglasses - plus the infamous vest - and we have an accurate description of Lagerfeld the road-safety cautious citizen doing his duty to society. The campaign tag line bears enough irony to satisfy Lagerfeld's rather caustic sense of humor, as it reads "it's yellow, it's ugly, it doesn't go with anything, but it could save your life". The campaign in question is set to cause a stir among French drivers - however, Lagerfeld would make a much more valid point if he considered actually designing such a vest himself rather than wear it for a photo shoot. Who knows what future Chanel couture collection we'd be seeing as a result?