In his five-decade career as one of fashion's leading lights, Karl Lagerfeld will be remembered for a great many things, but chief among them will be his highly irreverent, larger than life runway shows – from sending models down the aisle of a Chanel-emblazoned plane to recreating the Eiffel Tower within the Grand Palais in Paris, Lagerfeld's shows were fashion meets pop art meets absolute spectacle on an indescribable level, says the editor-in-chief of JONES magazine, Justine Cullen.

"To sit front row, or any row, at a Chanel show was like nothing you've ever experienced before," Cullen tells AFR Weekend. "Just making your way through the enormous crowds gathered outside is like going into battle. Then there's the seasonal transformation of the Grand Palais. You might have an idea of the delights to come from the invitation, but you never really knew what you'd find when you walked through the doors."