Untie the Apron’s Knot: Release and Protest - From the Kitchen to the Couture Runway

From Adam and Eve to Sex and the City and Audrey Hepburn to Hugh Hefner, this lecture will follow the fascinating trajectory of the apron over thousands of years. Its mainstream reputation as a mere kitchen accessory obscures its history as a symbol of fertility and sexuality and its journey to the runways of top designers whose modern iterations have made it an emblem of women’s liberation.

Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld never met in real life, but in 1983, when Lagerfeld succeeded her as head designer at the Chanel fashion house, he breathed new life into the mythology left by Chanel: the little black dress, the pearls, and the famous 2.55 bag, which are still the symbol of French chic. In a celebratory debut lecture, Ya’ara Keydar will provide a behind-the-scenes look at the House of Chanel; its dark secrets, its history before the arrival of Lagerfeld, its transformation as a result of his legacy, and its future four years after his death. In the lecture, we will have a first and rare glimpse of the huge exhibition dedicated to Lagerfeld that will open in May at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, and of course, of the famous accompanying MET Gala evening.

10.12.25 | Coco Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld 14.01.26 | Balenciaga 11.02.26 | Yves Saint Laurent 11.03.26 | Mugler Paris is the world’s fashion capital, home to visionary designers and artists who have overturned conventions and shaped the way we dress. This series explores Chanel’s darker chapters and Karl Lagerfeld’s blockbuster spectacles; Yves Saint Laurent’s love affair with the art world; Mugler’s unforgettable, circus-like shows and his sudden disappearance from the spotlight; and the luminous story of Balenciaga, the “architect of haute couture.” The Katedra at MUZA invites you to a new lecture series with curator and fashion historian Ya’ara Keydar. Across four talks, we’ll dive into the moving stories of the icons who form the elusive magic of Parisian fashion. Join a journey of beauty and dreams, darkness and glamour, told through the lives of those who left an indelible mark on fashion and culture.