Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty

The Costume Institute’s spring 2023 exhibition will examine the work of Karl Lagerfeld (1933–2019). Focusing on the designer’s stylistic vocabulary as expressed in aesthetic themes that appear time and again in his fashions from the 1950s to his final collection in 2019, the show will spotlight the German-born designer’s unique working methodology. Most of the approximately 150 pieces on display will be accompanied by Lagerfeld’s sketches, which underscore his complex creative process and the collaborative relationships with his premières, or head seamstresses. Lagerfeld’s fluid lines united his designs for Balmain, Patou, Chloé, Fendi, Chanel, and his eponymous label, Karl Lagerfeld, creating a diverse and prolific body of work unparalleled in the history of fashion.

To access the booklet of all large-print exhibition text, click here.

This exhibition contains ambient audio. For assistive listening, click here.

Listen to an exhibition playlist created by Michel Gaubert, the Paris-based music supervisor who frequently collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld.

Entering the Exhibition

You must join the virtual exhibition queue via QR code once inside the Museum. No advance or timed tickets required. Access is first come, first served and subject to capacity limitations.

Visitor Guidelines

The following items are not permitted:

- Bags larger than 11 x 17 x 5 in (28 x 43 x 13 cm)
- Backpacks
- Strollers (parking is available adjacent to the exhibition)
- Liquids

Free bag and coat check is available.

Special Access

Evening Hours: Every Sunday until 9 pm. (The rest of the Museum is not open during these hours.)
Met Member Morning Hours: 9–10 am every Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday starting May 6.

The exhibition is made possible by

Major support is provided by

Additional support is provided by

#ALineofBeauty

Exhibition Tour

Join Andrew Bolton, the Wendy Yu Curator in Charge of The Costume Institute, on a tour of the exhibition Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.

Both videos directed by Loïc Prigent (French, born 1973) and produced by Deralf/Bangumi. Courtesy Deralf/Bangumi.