LOS ANGELES, Aug 11, 2006/ FW/ --- As the first ever collection of the new label Karl Lagerfeld by the Paris-based designer hit store shelves, it will also be under the pennant of Apax Partners, the private equity investment group that acquired Tommy Hilfiger Corporation last May.

Designer Karl Lagerfeld whose other label ‘Lagerfeld Gallery,’ previewed the men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collection for the label ‘Karl Lagerfeld’ last February in New York.

And, although a lot of people get confused that the two labels are one and the same, they are different.

‘The Karl Lagerfeld label is meant for the U.S. market. The Lagerfeld Gallery label is global,’ explained a spokesperson last March when FW visited the Karl Lagerfeld showroom in Paris.

For those who need proof, during the recently concluded Paris menswear season, the label ‘Lagerfeld Gallery’ held a presentation at rue Saint-Claude in Paris last July 3. The official schedule from the Chambre Syndicale de la Mode Masculine listed it as ‘Lagerfeld.’

Still, to quote Shakespeare, 'What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet.' The debut collection for the ‘Karl Lagerfeld’ label is signature Karl Lagerfeld – innovative, pushing the envelope and ground breaking.

Mixing European aesthetics with American functionality, it is a youthful rendition of philosophical dressing. Although Karl Lagerfeld in his press notes mentioned that ‘the collection is about tailoring, sculpting and shape making,’ one could not help but think of the beat generation, not the way they dressed but of their progressive think tank.

The ‘Beat Generation,’ broadly defined as anti-conformist youth often associated with spontaneous creativity, also describes the collection perfectly. Although everything, from the slim fitting jackets to the black & white handkerchief frock were based on classic shapes, Karl Lagerfeld stripped the silhouettes to the basics then as in free-form thinking, sculpted new shapes.

A hoodie done in salmon Tyvek, that non-tearable nylon paper effect fabric, can pass as an outerwear and also bedroom wear, depending on your mood. Raw outer seams worked as fringes, while the cummerbund was reworked to be a peplum belt.

Oh, yes, it is a different label with a different design philosophy from the ‘Lagerfeld Gallery’ brand. And, better get them while you can because they will fly off the shelves as they are hitting the stores right now.

Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld