Currently reigning as the head creative director for Chanel, Fendi, and his own namesake line, he is labeled as one of the most influential people in fashion to date. If you’re not sure of the name, I’m sure you’ve seen his image around fashion week and other high-end industry shows. He’s sure to be spotted in his iconic black sunglasses, high-neck collars, and topped with a snow-white hair-do slicked back into a ponytail.
Lagerfeld is known for making a commotion in the fashion industry – both good and bad. In 1993, he caused a stir when he employed strippers and an adult-film star to model his black-and-white line during Milan Fashion Week. Amongst the disgusted viewers was that of renowned U.S Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour who actually walked out of the venue.
In 1994, he caused international trouble when he used a verse taken from the Qur’an in his spring collection for Chanel. Lagerfeld controversies were continued in 2001 when PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) attempted to pie (yes, as in throw a pie at someone) Lagerfeld for his extensive use of fur in his lines. Ironically enough, however, the pie hit Calvin Klein, a designer known to not use any fur in his designs.
Now, in 2018, he’s at it again. In a recent interview with Numéro, Lagerfeld spilled about the life of a designer, boasted about his good health and his body shape, as well railed other designers on their way of working in the fashion industry. However, these comments were of the least insulting that he made throughout the interview.
When the interviewer, Philip Utz mentioned that it was International Women’s day, Lagerfeld proceeded to say that, “for [him] Women’s Day is every day of the year”, which I would expect from a man whose life work revolves around dressing and designing for women. However, when later questioned about the #MeToo campaign, he said, “I’m fed up with it.”
Excuse me?
Lagerfeld went on to say that he didn’t believe these claims because there are no witnesses and the victims, “have taken 20 years to remember what happened.” When I read this in the article, I was devasted. Although he explained that the campaign hasn’t affected him or his work, he complained that, “now you [have] to ask a model if she is comfortable with posing” and that, “from now on, as a designer, you can’t do anything.” I, or one, always thought models needed to give their permission to pose, I mean, it’s their body after all, right? And in my opinion, it still seems fairly easy for designers to do what they please, as long as it’s professional and the models they work with are okay with it.
To add to this dreadful turn of events in this interview, Lagerfeld went to defend the creative director of Interview Magazine, Karl Templar, who earlier this year was accused of sexual misconduct or assault by over 50 models. Lagerfeld said he didn’t believe a word of it.
Not one word? From over 50 different individuals, about just one, same, individual? I guess people are entitled to their opinions, but come on, Karl, that’s a bit steep. Furthermore, he ended his thoughts on #MeToo by saying, “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery…”. And on that note, I lost complete respect for a fashion icon.
It just baffles me, that someone can say these things about an industry that is (mainly) centered around women? Especially just this year when designers like Christian Siriano, Chromat, and many other pushed boundaries to what the ideal model looked like. On top of this, many other designers incorporated #MeToo and female empowerment statements into their shows.
Looking forward to a brighter side of this story, are the implementations taken to fix, or at least lessen, such assaults. Model Alliance is a company that now provides models with an education about workplace rights along with independent, unbiased investigations to such accusations. Along with this organization, Condé Nast (publisher of Teen Vogue), has implemented their own code of conduct which includes requisites like drug- and alcohol-free zones, pre-shoot approval of nudity and other situations, along with age/chaperone specifications. Others like Diane Von Furstenberg have also begun to outline their own course of actions to prevent further allegations and situations like these. And hopefully, they will help incoming models and preexisting models alike.
