Bal Harbour

BAL HARBOUR 75 XXX MODEL-TURNED-ACTOR CARA DELEVINGNE STEPS INTO THE ROLE OF DESIGNER WITH A CAPSULE HONORING HER FRIENDSHIP WITH KARL LAGERFELD. By Kat Herriman ROLE PLAY hen Cara Delevingne's first spotted Karl Lagerfeld backstage at her inaugural Chanel couture show in 2012, the mere sight of the late, great fashion designer sent imposter shivers up the model's iconic spine. But it was the same man and meeting that banished those feelings forever, when he greeted Delevingne's gob-smacked, avoidant eye contact with a warm welcome, he left on her, even in its title: Cara Loves Karl. Cara Loves Karl reads as a bittersweet Valentine to an almost decade-long friendship with mutual love and push. That is why the garments themselves were of utmost important to Delevingne, who broke through a busy filming schedule to play a hands-on role in their creation, throwing herself with the team into the bowels of ideation and fittings to bring forth an offering modeled on Lagerfeld's own passion and discipline that also nods to the fruitful meeting of two inimitable spirits. It is also why you'll find that this first version of Cara Loves Karl has a Gemini energy, in that there are often instances in which opposing forces, like stripes and solids, are invited to power clash, adding spice to otherwise refined and tailored staples. In effect, the entire capsule oozes with Delevingne's idiosyncratic, hopped-up ease—the same aesthetic that drew Lagerfeld to her as a muse, and later as a confidante in art. In the press, Lagerfeld once declared Cara to be "the new Kate Moss," and later he called her the "Charlie Chaplin of fashion." It's funny that one can imagine both Moss and Chaplin enjoying the collection, maybe even sharing the same frame across time, handing back and forth pieces of Cara Loves Karl in a bit that goes on forever. immortalized in a video captured by Vogue. "Don't worry, you are meant to be here." It is this anecdote that comes roaring back in vivid color with the announcement of the supermodel's first capsule collection for Karl Lagerfeld's posthumous label, which adds designer to a growing stable of titles that also includes actor (you can see her latest in the new season of HBO's Only Murders in the Building, as Selena Gomez's paramour). During his life, Lagerfeld always encouraged Delevingne to try new roles, especially acting, and always cast her as more than a model, trumping her up alongside the kind of multi-hyphenates he knew she'd someday be. His methods were not always obvious, except in review, as Delevingne has realized in his passing. For proof, she calls up the memory of his casting her alongside Pharrell in a short film in 2014, as well as his approval of her ad-hoc 2015 show frolic which found the model tangoing with a waiter in Lagerfeld's faux restaurant under the Grand Palais' heavenly dome. One can imagine this Lagerfeld—the one who let a young Delevingne in further than most—would revel in seeing her realize yet another creative milestone with a collection that pays homage to the impression W ©SCANDEBERGS Cara Delevingne modeling a look from the Cara Loves Karl capsule collection she designed.

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