Faculty Lecture Series: Christophe Koné

Prof. Koné has embarked on a new book project on the legendary Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019), the German-born designer of the couture houses of Chanel & Fendi, photographer, illustrator, caricaturist, collector, and editor. In his talk, Koné will focus on some of the houses owned by Lagerfeld to explore the designer’s complex relationship with his country of origin, highlight the omnipresence of his German cultural heritage in his collections, and address his idiosyncratic engagement with time and time periods.

Christophe Koné is an Associate Professor of German and the Director of the Oakley Center for the Humanities and Social Sciences. He holds a Masters in German Studies from Université Lumière and a Ph.D. in German Studies from Rutgers University. He is the author of Uncanny Creatures: Doll Thinking in Modern German Culture published by the University of Michigan Press (2024). His research interests include German Romanticism, Modernism, Film Studies, Art History, Comics, Modern Dance, and Fashion Studies.

This talk is presented as part of the spring 2024 Faculty Lecture Series. The series was founded in 1911 by Catherine Mariotti Pratt, the spouse of a faculty member who wanted to “relieve the tedium of long New England winters with an opportunity to hear Williams professors talk about issues that really mattered to them.” From these humble and lighthearted beginnings, the Faculty Lecture Series has grown to become an important forum for tenured professors to share their latest research with the larger intellectual community of the college.

The Faculty Lecture Series is organized by the faculty members of the Lecture Committee. The aim of the series is to present big ideas beyond disciplinary boundaries.  All lectures will begin at 4:15 p.m. and will take place in the (new) Lawrence Hall Auditorium (L-231). Enter via the main WCMA entrance or through the Art Department corridor. All talks are open to students, faculty, staff and the public and will be recorded for posting on Williams YouTube.