Karl Lagerfeld Partners With Swarovski for Future Watch Releases
For the “accessible luxury” market.
Karl Lagerfeld – fresh off an explosive April interview — and Swarovski have revealed plans to expand their current collaborative partnership. Taking to WWD, the pairing has announced a joint move into watchmaking, sharing news of a multi-year licensing agreement that allows Lagerfeld’s team and the Swarovski Group to create a new collection of men’s and women’s timepieces.
“As we evolve our global business strategy, we are excited to work with Swarovski to develop our men’s and women’s watch collections,” Karl Lagerfeld chief executive officer Pier Paolo Righi tells WWD. “This is a natural next step in our collaboration.”
The collaboration’s watches are labeled as “accessible luxury,” and will be geared towards appealing to various types of consumer tastes. The products will blend gritty modern aesthetics with classic sensibilities, and are expected to debut at the Baselworld watch and jewelry showcase in March of 2019 — a Fall 2019 public release is expected to follow. Swarovski stores, official Karl Lagerfeld shops and select retailers will carry the watches.
Last month, Lagerfeld opened his first U.S. store in NYC.
