Karl Lagerfeld teams up with Seibu Sogo for Limited Edition

London - Karl Lagerfeld is not one to idle around. The German designer, known for his eponymous label as well as being the creative director of Fendi and Chanel, has teamed up with Japanese retail group Seibu Sogo to design a private-label brand.

“You know I love new ventures; I think it is perfect for the label,” said Lagerfeld on the collaborative venture to WWD. Set to launch this September, the brand entitled Limited Edition by Karl Lagerfeld will feature women’s ready-to-wear and accessories based on the retailer’s design concept of “elegance with a touch of fun,” according to Seibu Sogo. The label will be offered exclusively in 15 Seibu Sogo location, including Seibu Ibekukuro and Sogo Yokohama, as well as the retailer’s online store.

The German designer is the first international designer to collaborate with the retailer for its Limited Edition range, a private-label Seibu Sogo first launch in 2009, which promotes the quality of the designs over the price. “I approached it the same way I approached the collection we did in Brazil, but this time with a Japanese feeling in the mood,” said Lagerfeld on the collaboration, referring to the capsule collection he created for Brazilian fast-fashion retailer Riachuelo this spring.

Seibu Sogo has launched a series of collaborative collections under the private-label since its launch, with Japanese designers such as Atsuro Tayama and Junko Shimada. According to Seibu Sogo, Limited Edition sales have grown 20 percent over the past year, as demand for the range increases. The retailer added a Limited Edition Area Moda in March, a range featuring every day wear designed to appeal to locals and fulfil their clothing needs and demands.

Lagerfeld, who has been busy aligning his own eponymous brand for global expansion, has always been open to new collaborations and joint ventures. “I think it is a modern way for a label so totally different from Chanel or Fendi. That’s what I always wanted,” he said to WWD from Saint-Tropez, where he was shooting a campaign for Chanel’s Coco Cuba resort collection.

Photo: Karl Lagerfeld, LeWeb11 Conference taken by Kmeron