A Nod to Lagerfeld

Extravagant location sets and gorgeous tweeds make Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel shows an undisputed highlight of Paris Fashion Week. Besides clothing, the grandeur display is a spectacle in itself. Lagerfeld’s recent passing in February, however, further ensured all of fashion’s eyes remained locked in on his final bow. The emotional tribute to the designer, set in the Grand Palais turned wintry mountain village, marked the end of an era and concluded in teary eyes from famous models like Cara Delevingne, Mariacarla Boscono, and Cat McNeil.

Art by Lily Walsh

Lagerfeld’s twists on classic Chanel staples breathed some much needed new life into the once-failing brand. He took over as creative director of the luxury line in 1983, and over his tenure, brought in $10 billion in annual sales. This last collection featured fuzzy skirts, furry boots, and elegant trench coats and capes decked out in timeless houndstooth and plaid prints. Needless to say, the clothing did not disappoint, and the emotional significance of the show following the designer’s passing resonated deeply with audience members. 

Immediately after news of his death, social media feeds flooded with heartfelt tribute posts to the designer. There seemed to be a uniform sadness that drifted throughout major fashion figures as they collectively mourned his loss, dubbing him an icon and an inspiration. The man was masterful and passionate, though not entirely innocent. 

Lagerfeld was a complicated, multifaceted man who was nothing short of problematic. Though his contributions to the fashion world are undeniable, his misogynistic mindset cannot be overlooked. In a Wear Your Voice Magazine article published shortly after his death, Lara Witt shone a light on the designer’s repulsive comments that seemed drowned out in the sea of glorification following his death. Witt calls out his questionable remarks, from his public fatphobia to his insensitivity toward the #MeToo movement. 

Misogyny permeated his career. In an interview with former Vogue Paris editor in chief Carine Roitfeld, Lagerfeld disturbingly commented that Roitfeld is lucky her children are beautiful because “it would have been difficult to have an ugly daughter.” 

Fatphobia was baked into his work. Lagerfeld didn’t believe the industry was tied to eating disorders and heavily opposed the use of plus-sized models. In an interview with Focus magazine, Lagerfeld remarked, “No one wants to see curvy women. You’ve got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying thin models are ugly.” Fashion, to him, centered around “dreams and illusion.” 

Witt, among the first to highlight Lagerfeld’s misogyny after his death, criticized how the press seems to dismiss and ignore his abhorrent comments. “Publications have described his comments as ‘catty’, ‘bitchy’, ‘controversial’, ‘acid-tongued and superficial’ and ‘controversial’ instead of sexist, misogynistic, racist, fatphobic, and islamophobic,” Witt wrote. “The fashion industry continued to let this terrible person hold a place of high-esteem and reduced his commentary to Lagerfeld simply being a bit eccentric.” 

“The Good Place” star Jameela Jamil shared the article on Twitter, eliciting a response from Delevingne who is known to have had a close relationship with Lagerfeld. “A ruthless, fat-phobic misogynist shouldn't be posted all over the internet as a saint gone-too-soon,” Jamil added. 

Delevingne defended the designer, replying, “No one is perfect but you clearly don't know the man so please keep your opinions to yourself and stop bashing people for attention.” Though standing up for a recently deceased loved one seems perfectly valid, Delevingne embodied Lagerfeld’s idea of the gorgeous and perfectly thin model. 

How do we honor a fashion icon without completely dismissing his problematic behavior? It circles back to separating the art from the artist, but how can we support someone who does not support us? It’s tricky territory— one that fashion currently fails to navigate successfully. 

We’ve progressively become more sensitive in handling gender equality and body inclusivity, especially in the world of clothing. With significant moves toward body acceptance celebrated in recent runway shows like Rihanna’s Savage x Fenty and Zendaya’s Tommy Hilfiger collection, the old ways of imagining fashion (tall, sickly, airbrushed models) have begun to crumble. Although we can acknowledge talent, supporting problematic designers has gone out of vogue—think Dolce and Gabbana. (See April 2019 issue.) 

Virginie Viard has since been appointed to succeed Lagerfeld as the creative director of the fashion house. Though Viard maintained a close relationship with the late designer, one can only hope that her female perspective can reinvigorate the brand further. Lagerfeld’s death, in many ways, symbolizes the passing of retrograde, traditionalist ideas. His work will go down in history, but let’s leave it at that—history.