It may be impossible to define a 65-year career of sartorial artistry in one summer’s exhibition, but Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty isn’t just a 150-garment demonstration of the designer’s tailored prowess debuting at The Metropolitan Museum of Art this May—it’s also a written history.

Accompanied by never-before-seen photographs and illustrations, this all-new ode to an innovative master, written by museum curator Andrew Bolton, reminisces on Lagerfeld’s creative visions as he imagined them through decades, from the 1950s spent at Balmain to his own direction of Chanel and Fendi through the ‘80s and beyond.

Under the same title, the new release arrives in synergy with The Met’s spring exhibition, guiding guests through Lagerfeld’s early career and conceptual work with a thematic focus on the designer’s use of straight and serpentine lines. Through mid-July, The Met’s A Line of Beauty expertly narrates the journey that earned Lagerfeld his seat at the hallowed throne of modern high fashion. 

The Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty book is available May 30, 2023 via The ‎Metropolitan Museum of Art.