Karl Lagerfeld’s mother was a woman of many words
Now, we know where fashion maestro and Kaiser, Karl Lagerfeld gets his knack for the biting criticism he often delivers in the fashion world over things he doesn’t like. As they say, the apple doesn’t fall from the tree and Karl is closer to his mother than it seems!
Talking to Jessica Chastain at a fundraiser in New York, the designer revealed where he gets his talent for his put downs from. He said: “My mother used to say to me: ‘You look like me, but not as good,’ and “she never saw a show of my work because she said: ‘I do not want to go see people my son works for.” Not much motivation, is there? Giving further insight into the woman who raised him, he said that his mother stopped wearing skirts when she turned 70. Her reason for that decision was: “Long skirts make me old and the short skirts, they’re for the young girls.”
As far as his pet cat Choupette, he couldn’t help but gush about his love for the fuzzy spoilt princess of a cat. He said, “Baptiste got another one,” referring to model and friend, Baptiste Giabiconi who originally loaned him her cat Choupette while he was on holiday. He further added: “But she is not as good as Choupette. It is always difficult to analyse influence, but perhaps she helped me become a nicer person – there’s something very touching about her. And she is spoiled beyond.” And she is folks. Karl has said: “Her dishes are by Govard. She has one for water, one for her little croquette and one for her pate. You have to serve everything and she makes a choice.” Hmm….cat heaven indeed!
Coming back to Karl and his mum, Head Designer and Creative Director of French fashion house Chanel has said that his mother didn’t look kindly on his love of fashion and delivered a putdown as only she can. Her response to his love of hats was, “You shouldn’t wear hats. You look like an old dyke.”
Looks like some of that acidity has rubbed off on her son. He doesn’t mince words when he’s got something to say and bites off more than he can chew at times but it seems that the fashion world is more than willing to forgive him. Perhaps, it’s because the man is a legend as far as his designing talents go and his eccentricity and sharp tongue are part of his makeup as his one-of-a-kind designs.
By
T. J. Mueller
