Karl Lagerfeld's Controversial Legacy

Last week, legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld died at age 85. Not only did he infamously modernize, rebrand, and ultimately rescue Chanel from utter obscurity, but Lagerfeld also was at the helm of Fendi for years. He also launched two eponymous luxury clothing labels and collaborated with H&M on an affordably priced capsule collection. As if that wasn't enough, Lagerfeld opened his own Parisian bookshop, invented a signature diet method, managed a publishing house, illustrated classic fairy tales, designed costumes for the Opera Bastille, developed a luxury hotel in Maccau, and was a world-renowned photographer. "I design like I breathe," Karl explained in 1983 when describing his artistic process. "You don't ask to breathe. It just happens." This statement reveals that for Karl, the act of creating came naturally. But no matter how popular his brands became nor how quickly his beautiful pieces sold out, Lagerfeld never let himself grow complacent and always felt he "could do better."

In addition to amassing 9.6 billion in annual sales for his brands, Lagerfeld earned a personal fortune of over 300$ million dollars. This was, in part, due to his meticulous nature and exacting standards of work. When designing for Fendi and Chanel, Karl's perfectionism became his chief asset; every component of a given look had to be executed with the utmost precision and finesse, or else it was scrapped. And how did he know whether or not an outfit was ready for the runway? When making executive decisions, Lagerfeld relied entirely on his instinct in lieu of analytical logic. Furthermore, he was able to vividly conceptualize who his ideal customer was, what her particular lifestyle looked like, and most importantly--what she'd want to wear. In this sense, Karl's collections revolved around building a signature wardrobe for the Chanel or Fendi woman. It's as if behind every collection was a distinct personality his outfits were meant for, and an identity affixed to each brand that brought them to life on the runway and the pages of Vogue.

One can't deny that Lagerfeld's impeccable design sensibilities set him apart from his fellow upscale designers and continued to captivated the public. Yet he was dearly loved by those in his inner circle for his strong personality and unique idiosyncrasies. When faced with a personal choice, Lagerfeld always knew exactly what he wanted and had no problem voicing his bold opinions in discussions with his design team, acquaintances, and the media. For example, upon seeing a finished garment, Karl would decide almost instantly and with absolute certainty whether or not he was fond of it. A binary thinker, Karl truly had an all-or-nothing mentality when it came to aesthetics--for him, "maybe" simply didn't exist. Karl demonstrated his impressive clarity of thought on "7 Days Out," a recent Netflix docuseries chronicling what actually happens behind-the-scenes at Chanel's Atelier the week of the Spring Haute Couture Show. Toward the end of the episode, one of Karl's premiere seamstresses presents him with her final prototype for a voluminous evening dress. Everything appears to be going smoothly until Karl notices the ruffled hem, which seems to deeply offends him. Furrowing his brows, Karl exclaims that he despises the cream-colored fabric, comparing the texture to "old snow" and the "hair on an old man's ass." These scathing remarks prove that Karl had contempt for anything that didn't align with his creative vision. As a Creative Director, Karl was known for his firm resolve and was ultimately unwilling to compromise his lifelong commitment to excellence. According to Lagerfeld, he had these qualities his entire life; even as a young boy, he claimed he'd "prefer to die" of pneumonia than wear a coat he found ugly. There's no doubt that a few of Lagerfeld's extreme beliefs were a bit over-the-top and ludicrous. His behavior reminds me of a well-known quote on the fine line between genius and madness---and in my opinion, Karl often straddled that line with joie de vivre.

All of this isn't surprising, because when ever Lagerfeld wanted to accomplish something, he went all in with full dedication. An example is when he made it his priority to lose weight in an expedient manner. And I'm not talking ten or fifteen pounds; in only 13 months, Karl lost a whopping 95 pounds! When asked what inspired him to make this drastic change, Karl stated that on "November 1st, 2000," he simply decided he "was no longer happy" with his physical appearance. From then on, he limited himself to no more than 1,200 calories per day and promptly cut out all sugar, carbs, and fat. Karl probably knew this approach was not healthy, yet he didn't care because his motivation to lose weight stemmed from the desire to fit into designer clothing. Because his image meant far more to him than his health, Karl wasn't fazed by others' criticism of his abnormal methods.

At home, Karl took pride in his rituals and lived in accordance with his preferred daily routine, perhaps to offset the chaos that comes along with a lucrative career in the fashion industry. For example, every single day, Karl drank ten Diet Cokes and nothing else -- no coffee, no tea, zilch. He also stated in an interview with Harper's Bazaar, that he never eats lunch. In 2014, Karl was quoted saying that what he "hates most in life" are selfies! That's right, who cares about wars and famine? Just forget all that trivial stuff like poverty or the environment, it's those damn selfies that we oughta get pissed about! Other zany habits of Karl's included: always sleeping on a pillow that his childhood nanny made for him, never having sex with anyone he loved, never voting, hating all holidays and vacations, being "allergic" to flip-flops, owning 300 iPods & employing someone whose sole purpose was to manage them, wearing the same "uniform" every single day, which consisted of a slim Dior suit, dark sunglasses, and leather fingerless gloves so he wouldn't have to (*gasp!) "touch a dirty world.") Karl also claimed to have loved only one living being -- his cat Choupette, who apparently is set to inherit a large percentage of his fortune. Below is a new photo of Choupette in her mourning veil, and just look at those eyes! (this is actually breaking my heart 😿)

FYI, Choupette is not like any other cat. According to Lagerfeld, she's "a refined object." Indeed, Choupette has her own personal maids, dines on caviar, always flies private, has over 260,000 Instagram followers, was once an ambassador to a German automobile manufacturer, launched her own makeup line with Shu Uemera, and probably doesn't even need her inheritance, seeing as she's already "earned a healthy $3 million through sponsorships and ad appearances." In her free time, she enjoys receiving manicures and playing on her iPad. Upon typing this, I've come to the disturbing realization that a cat has achieved far more than I have throughout my entire 26 years of life...in fact, it's becoming quite clear that I'll never be anywhere near as successful as Choupette, which is an extremely depressing concept that will probably haunt me for years.

On another note, even though Karl achieved profound success, there were many instances where his brazen, acerbic wit tarnished his reputation. For one thing, he had absolutely no qualms about flat out insulting respected celebrities, prominent royal figures, fat people in general, and even entire countries. For example, Karl once told the press that he thought Princess Diana was "sweet but stupid." Another time, he bluntly stated that he didn't like Pippa Middleton's face, then quipped, "she should only show her back." It's surprising that the media and public at large seemingly pardoned Lagerfeld for his insulting commentary. Somehow, he managed to skirt by practically unscathed for all his frequent controversial behavior, like the time he hired strippers instead of models...or when he revealed he liked paying prostitutes for sex...and then there was that one time he styled Claudia Schiffer in black face for a photoshoot...not to mention when he announced he was "fed up" with the #MeToo movement...and who can forget when he declared that Russian men are "very ugly," that Heidi Klum is "too heavy," that Adele is "a little too fat," and that he doesn't hire plus size models because "no one wants to see curvy women." In his defense, Lagerfeld claimed back in 2013, "I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that." After he passed, some celebrities took advantage of the opportunity to voice their disapproval of all the above. Actress Jameela Jamil tweeted that despite all his talent, the highly esteemed designer was a "ruthless, fat-phobic misogynist." However, besides Jamil, very few stars took a stand against Karl's history of flagrant disrespect.

In conclusion, I'm struggling to figure out how I feel about this man; I've been a huge fan of his designs for years and never paid much attention to his character. There's so much information circling about him right now in the press, and I doubt that all of it's accurate. I don't think it's fair to speak ill of those who are no longer with us--in my heart, it just feels wrong to dredge up every bad remark he's ever said. Regardless, even if everything included in the paragraph above is true, it's not nearly enough to brand someone as a horrible misogynist. And honestly, if that's the totality of Lagerfeld's distasteful, foot-in-mouth moments, it's not that big a deal and seems more petty than vicious. Why make a mountain out of a molehill? Everyone makes mistakes and says things they regret, so it's unfortunate when this happens to someone who's constantly in the spotlight because they're held accountable for every flippant little remark made in passing or on impulse. I think Karl Lagerfeld's positive impact on society eclipses his innocuous mistakes. It makes more sense to honor him for all the good he's accomplished rather than attack his character.

At the end of the day, I think we should forgive Lagerfeld for his personal indiscretions because he never hurt anybody. For example, he was bashed by critics for only hiring super-skinny models and was into fat-shaming--who cares? We're talking about his collection here, so he earned the right to showcase his designs however he saw fit. Moreover, in a world of conformity, it's kind of refreshing that Lagerfeld proudly marched to the beat of his own drum. I guess I respect him for being true to himself instead of trying to fit in with what society finds acceptable. So was he a bit snobby? Sure. Was he a little too crude at times? Oh yeah. But did he have a singular vision and demonstrate extraordinary creative mastery throughout his career? Most definitely. Karl was a designer at heart, and couldn't help but fashion his life, his persona, and even styled his goodbye message with simplicity and grace. After his passing, Karl left his staff detailed instructions. From the specific flower arrangement he wanted displayed in his stores to a written statement he prepared for his customers, Karl Lagerfeld would never stop designing, creating, and styling.

Works Cited
Belluz, Julia. "Karl Lagerfeld Lost 92 Pounds." Vox. https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/2/19/18231656/karl-lagerfeld-diet

Lagerfeld, Karl. Personal Website, Karl Lagerfeld. https://www.karl.com/experience/en/biography/

Kay, Richard. "Kaiser of the Catwalk." The Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-6722569/Everything-Karl-Lagerfeld-extraordinary-300-ipods-writes-RICHARD-KAY.html

Kratofil, Colleen. "Karl Lagerfeld on His Weight Loss, Signature Style, and Staying Relevant in Fashion." People Magazine. https://people.com/style/karl-lagerfeld-quotes-on-weight-loss-diet/

Mackelden, Amy. "Karl Lagerfeld's Career Was Unlike Anyone Else's." Harper's Bazaar. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/g26415353/karl-lagerfeld-career-timeline/

Malm, Sara. "A Perfectionist From Beyond the Grave." The Daily Mail. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6734409/Karl-Lagerfeld-strict-instructions-shop-staff-mourn-white-roses-window.html

Mau, Dhani. "Karl Lagerfeld Divulges His Personal Grooming Habits." Fashionista. https://fashionista.com/2012/09/karl-lagerfeld-divulges-his-personal-grooming-habits-says-hes-physically-allergic-to-flip-flops

7 Days Out. Season 1, Episode 5. Netflix Documentary about Karl Lagerfeld & Chanel's Spring Haute Couture show.

Picardie, Justine. "Karl Lagerfeld on the Rise of the New Couture Client." The Telegraph UK. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/a-client-will-buy-20-dresses-in-five-minutes-karl-lagerfeld-on-t/

Syme, Rachel. "Karl Lagerfeld, The Designer Who Dressed to Survive." The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/postscript/karl-lagerfeld-the-designer-who-dressed-to-survive

Williams, Robert. "Karl Lagerfeld's Death Hands Chanel Biggest Test Since Coco." Fortune. http://fortune.com/2019/02/19/karl-lagerfeld-death-chanel/