Vogue honors Karl Lagerfeld on cover ahead of Met Gala, with Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid

Karl Lagerfeld is the star of Vogue magazine’s May cover.

The fashion outlet paid tribute to Lagerfeld’s legacy in an issue featuring 10 models the late designer “loved most,” including Anok Yai, Shalom Harlow, Kendall Jenner, Liu Wen, Adut Akech, Natalia Vodianova, Naomi Campbell, Amber Valletta, Gigi Hadid and Devon Aoki. Lagerfeld’s beloved cat Choupette was also included in the photoshoot.

Ten designers — Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino, Thom Browne, Donatella Versace, Jun Takahashi of Undercover, Christopher John Rogers, John Galliano of Maison Margiela, Olivier Rousteing of Balmain, Chitose Abe of Sacai, Gucci and Simone Rocha — also spoke praise of Lagerfeld in the tribute issue.

Vogue’s May 2023 cover story pays tribute to Karl Lagerfeld.

Naomi Campbell wears Balmain while holding Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette in the Vogue 2023 cover photoshoot.

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Vogue’s latest cover shoot, which took place at Paris’ Grand Palais, comes in the lead up to the 2023 Met Gala. The theme for this year’s biggest night in fashion is: “In Honor of Karl.”

Adut Akech wears Christopher John Rogers for Vogue’s Karl Lagerfeld tribute issue.

The German-born couturier worked for decades simultaneously as creative director of many fashion houses including Chanel, Fendi and Chloé in addition to helming his eponymous international fashion label. He died in 2019 at 85.

Hadid sang the late designer’s praise to Vogue, telling the outlet, “He was an icon because he had this genius focus on what was important to him and what he was interested in and his uniform was part of that intent. It was his armor, his way of becoming Karl Lagerfeld. Even 10 feet away, he looked like how Karl Lagerfeld was meant to look.”

Gigi Hadid poses in Gucci for Vogue’s May cover photoshoot.

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Rocha called the late designer “unapologetic,” adding, “He stood behind every decision he made; there was no self-doubt as to whether he was right or wrong.”

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Rousteing said Lagerfeld was his “biggest inspiration in life,”

“He didn’t follow fashion—he created fashion, and connected fashion to pop culture,” the Balmain designer added.

Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour said although Lagerfeld “declared that fashion didn’t belong in a museum – it should look ahead, not be consigned to history,” she was happy to contradict his philosophy “because I know he would have loved being recognized – and there’s simply no one more deserving.”

Shalom Harlow wears Thom Browne in Vogue’s tribute issue to Karl Lagerfeld.

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The Met Gala, the annual benefit for the museum’s Costume Institute gathering fashion and pop culture’s most famous and powerful people, will take place May 1 — following its usual calendar placement on the first Monday in May.

Contributing: Elise Brisco

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Vogue pays tribute to Karl Lagerfeld ahead of 2023 Met Gala

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