Sunday 21 March 2010

it’s like a big stone

pic from Vice

Despite being one of the most famous people in the fashion world, and designing for 3 separate labels (Chanel, Fendi, his own Karl Lagerfeld line...), Karl Lagerfeld is a bit of an enigma.
What do you really know of him?

Vice did an interview, anyways. Which should, really, shed some light on the man, but only really cements my perception of him being a bit of a mystery. I think that's the idea. He IS a mystery. But it's his own making. That's jus' how he roll, dawg.
His opinions sometimes contradict each other, but I think this is probably a calculated move on his part, to keep the mystery aspect up (although, I'm not so sure the interviewer realises this. Arse kissing doesn't even begin to cover it.)

Now, for those of you short on time; lacking the luxury of casually reading through 7 pages of interview, here is a summation of sorts:

- he loves a good paradox.
- he never allows himself to be photographed or filmed without his glasses on
- his fans camp outside his house (like, really? come on now, crazy fashion people. get a grip)
- he's against gay marriage (and he has his reasons)
- he doesn't vote, nor get involved in politics in any way
- he still faxes
- his thoughts on fur?
That’s why I always say, when people talk about not using fur, “Are you rich enough to make an income for the people in the north who live from hunting? What do you want them to live off of when there’s nothing else to do?”
.....
You’re sort of irreverent about fur.
If you cannot afford it, just forget about it. Don’t use it as an investment piece to show people how rich you are. Use it like a cheap knitted thing. It’s like a big stone. Lucky you that you can have a big stone, but if it troubles you financially to have the stone, don’t have the stone.

This is another paradox that I like about you. There’s nothing conspicuous about the way you use things.
If you can afford it, OK. But if you think it’s an investment, then forget about it.
- he's almost fluent in Latin
- oh, and he might have Aspergers Syndrome...

If you've got time, give it a read; discuss - although, rather here than on the Vice site, cos as much as I love it, they tend to attract the trolls. Gah.

PS
if you've never googled
what Karl looked like when he was younger, click now! You can see his eyes AND EVERYTHING.

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4 comments:

iliketweet said...

This is a-mazing!

Oooh...mecanno sounds good, take photos and post, post, post!

tweet tweet tweet

x

InnyVinny said...

This was such a great dissection of that extra long interview. His answers never fail to amuse me.

Alexandra said...

Karl Lagerfeld is the Oscar Wilde of fashion. Bruce LaBruce is the Oscar Wilde of filmmaking. This interview was the Oscar Wilde of modern journalism! I loved every witty, incindiary second and have re-read it every day since it went up.

Thanks for the post, and kudos on making it into Links a la Mode this week!

xoAlex

M said...

hahaha uncle Karl is one weird cookie