Karl Lagerfeld's Memphis-Designed Monte Carlo Apartment Documented in 1983 Photo Shoot

In 1983, Karl Lagerfeld welcomed editor Regina Spelman and photographer Jacques Schumacher into his Monte Carlo residence for a feature in a German magazine. The space was adorned entirely with furnishings from the Memphis Group, a postmodern design collective established by Ettore Sottsass in 1981. This group made its debut at Salone del Mobile with 55 creations that fused kitsch, pop culture, and advertising, turning away from modernist sophistication. Notable members included Barbara Radice, Aldo Cibic, and Michele De Lucchi. Lagerfeld, who had recently taken on the role of creative director at Chanel, was a passionate collector of Memphis designs, which he later sold at Sotheby’s in 1991. Though the apartment is gone, Schumacher's photographs capture a pivotal era when Lagerfeld was already a fashion icon.