Did Karl Lagerfeld Just Call Me Fat?
When an eccentric (to put it mildly) fashion designer announces that people prefer to look at extremely thin models because fashion is about fantasy, and that the only people who object are “fat mummies” who “sit in front of the television eating bags of crisps,” one must wonder: how do we make sure a person like that does not have power over us?
Mr. Lagerfeld is certainly entitled to his own opinions, and free speech in the Western world dictates that he is also entitled to freely voice those opinions, regardless of how hateful, bigoted and offensive they are. The high fashion designer has never been afraid of controversy, defending fur against PETA, and – according to some reports – saying that model Heidi Klum is too heavy to be a runway model.
The real issue as far as I’m concerned is not Mr. Lagerfeld’s misogyny, but his power over women. A top fashion designer, Mr. Lagerfeld is widely regarded as a fashion guru and his fashion creations, featuring very structured, dramatic and feminine women’s wear, mostly in black and white, are considered as masterpieces.
As the recent love fest around child rapist Roman Polanski demonstrates, our society tends to forgive talented, ambitious, rich men their eccentricities, even their crimes. It is therefore highly unlikely that Mr. Lagerfeld will be pushed to the sidelines and ignored just because he hates women. We women however must make sure we put whatever this man says in the right context, as the personal opinions of someone with an extremely odd and unusual personality who lives in his own fantasy world, completely disconnected from the daily reality of most of us.
Comment of the day:
“Personally, I intend to protest by eating a bag of potato chips.” Els Withers.
Photo by siebbi
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Els Withers responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 10:07 am →
“How do we make sure a person like that does not have power over us?” As usual, employ your own judgment rather than relying on the media to tell you what to think or how to feel. Lagerfield has no power over women except what they choose to give him.
Personally, I intend to protest by eating a bag of potato chips.
I hear Glamour magazine is running another photo featuring zaftig (now there’s a useful word) models. How long until this becomes commonplace rather than a special occasion?
The Stiletto Mom responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 11:16 am →
Wow, getting linked on MomGrind makes me famous I think? Great post, but you know how I felt about this subject already. Also did you see the model on the Today Show that got fired from Ralph Lauren for being too fat? She’s 5’10″, 120 lbs and a size 4. Great message we are sending to young women everywhere.
Dot responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 11:54 am →
I once commented to an old friend that I was embarrassed to be seen in my bathing suit at 50 pounds overweight. Her response has stayed with me. “Why should I let a bunch of gay men in Paris tell me how to look?” I’d take out the “gay,” because I don’t think it’s (just) a gay problem, I think it’s a man problem.
I once asked my gay male friend why some gay men liked getting dressed up in drag. He said, “It’s about glamour.” I guess I should have asked why they needed to have that kind of glamour, as opposed to the glamour of, say, Cary Grant or Sting. As for, “…fashion is about fantasy…”, yes, if you’re a man, I would guess that women’s fashion HAS to be about fantasy for you. Why don’t you go do men’s fashion? Why are there so many male fashion designers, make-up creators, women’s show producers, gynecologists, obstetricians, etc. etc.? You don’t hear much about female urologists, but men seem to think that our bodies, clothes, make-up, beliefs, are all things they should be providing or fixing. I say, butt out unless you can demonstrate at least a smidgen of understanding.
Betsy Wuebker responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 12:22 pm →
Bravo, Vered! This could be your best piece of writing ever! And Dot voiced my reaction reading it. This entire thing is especially insidious in that people in our lives buy into this crap and then become our judges as well. A pox on them all!
Lori Hoeck responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 1:02 pm →
Fat mummies? Sounds like he isn’t fond of motherhood either. But then again, maybe I have a new Halloween costume idea …
MomGrind responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm →
Thank you everyone for your comments. I think it’s important to talk about this, and make it clear to anyone reading that such statements need not affect women. This is what this post is about I think – putting things in context.
RC - Rambling Along... responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 3:41 pm →
How do we not let him have power? By choosing not to listen. By realizing he is the one with the problem.
And, on a humorous note, I like Els Withers’ response. I’m off to eat some potato chips. Oh, pardon me, “crisps.” How unfashionable I am in how I talk, too.
Nicole responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 3:48 pm →
Let’s see how many of the offended stop buying Chanel or the very least, salivating over it.
The world will be different when we start acting differently in it.
Barbara Swafford responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 4:02 pm →
Hi Vered,
You’re right on target here. Like you said, it is about women NOT being affected by one persons opinion of what beauty is.
Ev`Yan || apricot tea. responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 4:39 pm →
I don’t know KL as a designer — I’m not that “with it” — but as a person, knowing the kind of comments he’s made in the past, I cannot stand him. It’s especially irritated to see young women lose their minds about him, calling him a “God” in most respects. What you said is right: he’s entitled to his opinion & then of course there is that lame justification of “free speech”, but I hate that a powerful, sought after, looked up to man would say things like that.
Also, this pissed me off, too.
“Fashion is the healthiest motivator for losing weight” – Karl Lagerfeld.
Great post, as usual, Vered! (& I hope you’re well.)
Hayden Tompkins responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 4:46 pm →
I was ill when I read what he said, absolutely ill. Fashion is such an insular industry I have to wonder how many people agree with what he was saying.
How on earth did “fashion” become this??
MomGrind responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 4:53 pm →
Wow, Ev’Yan, this is absolutely sick. This probably refers to his own life by the way – I read that he lost 90 pounds simply because he wanted to wear a certain clothing label.
Kim Woodbridge responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 7:24 pm →
People think Lagerfeld is “god”? Or the god of fashion? It’s hard for me to comment because I am so clueless about the fashion world that I find it hard to believe that there are people who care … And here I am all excited because I found an awesome EMS jacket at the thrift store for almost nothing
Jannie Funster responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 8:04 pm →
He does not sound like a happy person to say such mean things. I’d rather be happy little potato chip munching me!
Patricia responds:
Posted: October 14th, 2009 at 8:30 pm →
Another great post and another ugly human being exposed…
I had a gynecologist who was just like him and I gave up health ins. to get away from him…Wow then he was the surgeon on supply for my ovarian cancer surgery. The plastic surgeon who put me together again after 3 years of agony – said my abs were worse than anything he had repaired from shrapnel wounds in Viet Nam….So together we made such a public stink this woman – hater left town…I am still left with his hate in my gut ….
I think of these guys every time I have green apple quick step… then again people pay for his work…that is the best take down – no income.
Marelisa responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 12:47 am →
Well, that goes to show how incredibly shallow the man is. And yes, people who are very successful in their craft tend to be forgiven things that regular, everyday people aren’t. I guess it’s the perception that since they’re larger than life they have more demons to grapple with than the rest of the world. A thirteen year old girl . . . . and Polanski was about 44 at the time; there’s just no excuse for that.
Noble Savage responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 1:01 am →
Thanks for the link Vered, and great post as usual.
The fashion world and Hollywood need to be tied together with heavy stones and thrown into the ocean, as far as I’m concerned. I really don’t understand why so many women make themselves slaves to what these industries say we should do. A dress or a magazine or a movie aren’t motivation enough for me to destroy my self-worth.
Fashion is a large part of what I find so vacuous and intellectually bankrupt about our consumerist culture. Who the shit cares if a handbag was made by orphans in Bangladesh, right? So long as it’s got some rich white dude’s name stitched on the front in 24 karat gold, everyone can see that you’ve got money and need someone you’ve never met to tell you what to wear. Apparently this is a sign of status and progress. Ha-hardy-har! The patriarchy has successfully deflected our attention away from all of the violence and discrimination against women with shiny objects and busied us with eating disorders and clawing one another’s eyes out in our quest to epitomize their fantasies. Well done, rich white dudes, I’ve got to hand it to you, you’ve done a stellar job.
I think I’ll go be sick now, but not because I want to fit into that little black dress. Most likely I’ve just eaten too many crisps.
Carla responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 1:34 am →
As someone who has body image issues, I tend to shy away from that “world” and happy to have never heard of him despite my love of fashion. He sounds like a very unhappy person and not worth my time and energy to think about him. Unfortunately many women are affected by him though.
Michelle @ Find Your Balance responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 6:30 am →
Is fashion really about fantasy? I thought it was about making women feel beautiful, about creativity, about confidence.
Andrea responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 7:14 am →
Maybe Mr Largerfeld needs reminding that he was somewhat on the porky side himself not so long ago!
Tess The Bold Life responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 7:42 am →
Reading this makes me want to throw up. This man is full of self hate himself no matter how successful he is with his carreer and money. He wouldn’t be able to project his crap on women if he didn’t feel it about himself as well.
There now I feel a bit better and maybe even can dig up a little compassion for the sad human being! Can you tell I’m still struggling?
MomGrind responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 8:51 am →
I completely agree that Karl Lagerfeld can’t be a happy person if he feels the need to spew out so much hatred.
The Lawyer Mom responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 10:27 am →
But wait! It gets worse! Christian Louboutin said Barbie had cankles and she’d need to be paired down in order for for his designer Barbie boots to work.
Barbie Doll: Christian Louboutin to Redesign Fat Legs
Dr. J responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 11:49 am →
I recently read a study of women, thin, average, overweight, looking at pictures of models. The results were, thin liked them, average went both ways, overweight didn’t like them. I asked a female friend about thin models. She said she liked seeing the clothes on them. I don’t know what to think. I wish we weren’t so hung up on all of this.
Sara responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 12:31 pm →
Vered,
I like to read the comments before I leave one. I got a chuckle out of Tess’s comment. Tess, if you read this, I do so love that you speak your mind:~)
Vered — I like the fact you are bringing awareness to people like this and show them for who they really are. This man is created by his culture and the people who allow him to have importance. To me, he is below a slug (not to dump on slugs, but they’re not the smartest insects)! I feel sorry for him, but you never know…perhaps, if you believe in karma, maybe in his next life he’ll actually become a slug:~)
Noble Savage » Blog Archive » Fuck Fashion responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 2:37 pm →
[...] Vered at MomGrind wrote a post yesterday in which she expressed disbelief and disgust at Karl Lagerfeld’s comment that women who complain about thin models are “fat mummies” who “sit in front of the television eating crisps.” She encouraged us to not put any stock in what he says and shrug it off as the ridiculous and pitiful statement it is. And she’s right, of course, we shouldn’t give two shits what a wealthy, septuagenarian man thinks of us, or what we wear or say or do. Because who cares, right? I certainly don’t. [...]
Dr. Grumpy responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 3:51 pm →
It’s jackass comments like his that fuel unhealthy starvation diets and these pro-anorexia sites, too.
Bunnygotblog.com responds:
Posted: October 15th, 2009 at 9:14 pm →
Great Article Vered. Carl went on a crash diet and looked simply gaunt. He also had a problem with Shirley McLaine when she did a TV movie about Coco Chanel. He loves to run his mouth.
Polanski should have paid years ago and the US could have gone after him before this. There is a reason it is all coming out again. I really feel badly for the victim and her family.
Squawkfox responds:
Posted: October 18th, 2009 at 7:27 pm →
I just ate a chocolate bar — with almonds.
Cath Lawson responds:
Posted: October 19th, 2009 at 6:56 pm →
What an idiot – I wish folk would stop buying his stuff. But as you say – the rich and famous seem to be forgiven for the very worst of sins, so it probably won’t happen.
I went through a phase of caring far too much about fashion but now, I just hate how it causes so many problems in the world. In our countries – it makes people shallow and even anorexic. And in third world countries, it exploits people – even children.
I wish more people would wise up to it and make a stand. But most of those who could influence the general public – if it was fashionable; like the supermodels who protested against fur, then went back to wearing it.
janice responds:
Posted: October 21st, 2009 at 9:29 am →
Another good one! I love the grace with which you destroy these assinine misogynists! I rebel by living comfortably in non-stick size, non-designer jeans and T shirts most of the time. I’ve never bought anything connected to him as far as I know and never will. The thing that made me laugh is that there wouldn’t be anyone to buy his daft inventions if it weren’t for us mummies producing tomorrow’s consumers!
Ten Stupid Fashion Trends responds:
Posted: October 27th, 2009 at 12:54 pm →
[...] male fashion designers, I love fashion. When it’s not about starving oneself to fit into a size zero or saying that Barbie Doll’s ankles are too fat, fashion is about self expression, creativity [...]