Karl Lagerfeld and Swarovski unveil their bling thing - a jewelry collection due out this fall
Karl Lagerfeld will lift the curtain on his fashion jewelry tie-up with Swarovski this week. It will be shown at the Baselworld fair, which begins Thursday and runs through March 30. The collection — set to launch in stores for fall — has been split into three visual groups.
The Ikonic line boasts an edgier, rock-influenced aesthetic. It will include a charm “program,” ear jackets, asymmetrical necklaces and pendants. The Klassic Karl range uses Lagerfeld’s signature as a design feature and also includes odes to his famous pet feline, Choupette. The Essentials line includes more classic designs with crystalized chains and celestial pieces.
The tie-up will go on sale in September at Swarovski Crystal Worlds retail locations, Karl Lagerfeld stores, karl.com and select retailers.
Prices will range from 50 euros, or about $54 at current exchange, to 250 euros, or about $270 at current exchange.
The brand will offer two main collections per year, featuring necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.
In January, Pier Paolo Righi, chief executive officer of Karl Lagerfeld, said the tie-up was a logical fit for the brand, which has produced watches under license with Fossil Group since 2011.
“Karl is the man of accessorization and jewelry, it was therefore the next natural step for us to expand our product range with a fashion jewelry collection. Swarovski, with their significant expertise, makes the perfect partner for us and we look forward to launching the first collection this fall,” he said.
“We feel honored to be partnering with an iconic fashion house such as Karl Lagerfeld,” Markus Langes-Swarovski, a member of Swarovski’s executive board, said earlier this year.
“Reflective of the creative vision of Karl Lagerfeld, the collection was developed with cutting-edge design elements and superior quality, which perfectly complement the existing categories. We look forward to maximizing our licensing partnership together,” he added.
The Lagerfeld tie-up — a multiyear licensing contract — is a new facet in Swarovski’s plan to elevate its fashion quotient. Last May, the firm hired Karlie Kloss as its face — with plans to chart double-digit growth in North America, stemming from sales in fashion-forward cities.
“Big cities offer much more potential for market penetration,” Swarovski ceo for consumer goods Robert Buchbauer said at the time. “In the next few years we want to concentrate on our fashion sense in the five or six biggest cities in the U.S.
“We are trying to put a lot of emphasis on the designs and are also working on our language internally and externally — we are going to work with Jean Paul Gaultier and focus our efforts [on style].” In February 2016, it was revealed that Gaultier had designed a stone called “Kaputt” for the brand.
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