61 Iconic Karl Lagerfeld-Designed Chanel Couture Brides

It’s impossible to sum up Karl Lagerfeld’s traits into a single sentence. The polyglot designer, photographer, writer, and iconoclast was a man for all seasons, able to capture the hearts and minds of both the fashion-obsessed and the casual fan. At Chanel, he left his mark on every item that walked the runway, from the minaudière bags to the boater hats, but perhaps none was more memorable than his bridal dresses.

Over the years he has used the bride to make statements about gay marriage, gender identity, austerity, showmanship, and above all else, pure, unadulterated beauty. There have been meter-long trains, sharp pantsuits, cascading lace appliqués, mod-ish minidresses that upended the tradition of bridalwear; Lagerfeld’s final wedding look was a bridal maillot. Here, 61 of Lagerfeld’s most memorable brides.

1984

Chanel, spring 1984 couture | Inès de La Fressange does bridal demurely.

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