News, Quote of the Day
Quote of the Day: Karl Lagerfeld on Coco’s Mistakes
By Leah Chernikoff“The first [mistake] was when she said ‘Not one man I have spoken to likes a woman in mini skirts’. I think no one dared to tell this 86-year-old lady that miniskirts are great and really sexy. Number two was when she decided blue jeans were horrible. This was the fashion of the world at that particular moment – it was the Sixties. No one wanted to be told by an old lady that miniskirts and jeans weren’t chic. The result was that she lost her power and in the end no one cared about what she did.”
- Karl Lagerfeld on the mistakes Coco Chanel made towards the end of her career, speaking at the International Herald Tribune’s Luxury Heritage conference earlier this week. He also said “Coco did a lot but not as much as people think.” Via Vogue.com UK.
Tags: Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld
Comments [48]
Leave a comment
Most Read
- 1
First Look: Marni for H&M, the Complete Collection (Plus Pricing) - 2
Central Saint Martins Fall 2012: The Most Memorable Looks - 3
New York Fashion Week Crib Sheet: The 10 Most Well-Reviewed Shows According to Everyone Who Matters - 4
Mulberry Debuts Lana Del Rey Bag on the Runway - 5
Kate Moss, Rihanna, and More Attend Stella McCartney's London Dinner Show--Oh, and Alexa Chung Levitated on Swords
- 1
Copyright © 2012 Breaking Media, LLC. All rights reserved.
Registration or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
OMFG, yes……!!!!
I love it when Uncle Karl shuts shit down!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Side Note: @Leah, you know I was gonna be the first one to post one something Karl related. *hearts*
I would say she probably did far, far more than the average (even someone informed about fashion ) person could ever realize without making a study of her. Problem is, everyone Karl meets must regail him with their love and respect for Chanel, that it must seem like vast myth from the inside.
My favorite quote about the introduction of minis and the change in fashion in the 60s , from Nancy Mitford (great aunt of Stella tennent and Daphne Guinness)
‘fashion will now force us to be either dowdy or ridiculous. We’ll be choosing ridiculous, of course.’
That was a very disrespectful thing for him to say, especially considering all the groundbreaking things she has contributed with in fashion history. Karl is one of the most overrated designers ever and is the main contributer to making Chanel commercia. Putting it’s logo on every single trashy thing it can find and lessening it’s value. Chanel isn’t what it used to be.
and Karl she was somewhat right about denim, please leave denim to the pros because there is not one single denim piece of yours that I like. urgh those denim boots still give me nightmares.
WHAT?!?@#$%^&*…!
You should be banned from Fashionista IMMEDIATELY and be beaten within an inch of your life with Uncle Karl’s gloves!!!!
How DARE you speak such blasphemy!!!!
*foams at mouth & shakes violently*
P.S. I thought it over…and you don’t DESERVE to be beaten with the soft, supple calfskin leather of Uncle Karl’s gloves.
A thrashing from some bolt of material from Marc Jacobs’ latest collection or a Louis Vuitton Murakami bag would prove a better fate for the likes of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*wipes spittle from corners of mouth*
You’re the only one who’s making yourself sound like a fool right now. Spittle? Please, spare us.
P.S. I thought it over…and you don’t DESERVE to be beaten with the soft, supple calfskin leather of Uncle Karl’s gloves.
A thrashing from some bolt of material from Marc Jacobs’ latest collection or a Louis Vuitton Murakami bag would prove a better fate for the likes of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*wipes spittle from corners of mouth*
P.S. I thought it over…and you don’t DESERVE to be beaten with the soft, supple calfskin leather of Uncle Karl’s gloves.
A thrashing from some bolt of material from Marc Jacobs’ latest collection or a Louis Vuitton Murakami bag would prove a better fate for the likes of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*wipes spittle from corners of mouth*
P.S. I thought it over…and you don’t DESERVE to be beaten with the soft, supple calfskin leather of Uncle Karl’s gloves.
A thrashing from some bolt of material from Marc Jacobs’ latest collection or a Louis Vuitton Murakami bag would prove a better fate for the likes of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*wipes spittle from corners of mouth*
P.S. I thought it over…and you don’t DESERVE to be beaten with the soft, supple calfskin leather of Uncle Karl’s gloves.
A thrashing from some bolt of material from Marc Jacobs’ latest collection or a Louis Vuitton Murakami bag would prove a better fate for the likes of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*wipes spittle from corners of mouth*
P.S. I thought it over…and you don’t DESERVE to be beaten with the soft, supple calfskin leather of Uncle Karl’s gloves.
A thrashing from some bolt of material from Marc Jacobs’ latest collection or a Louis Vuitton Murakami bag would prove a better fate for the likes of you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*wipes spittle from corners of mouth*
i would have to agree with coco on both accounts. mini skirts are hot if you’re going to to a club or want to look borderline/completely trashy. otherwise they send the wrong message. denim…even marc jacobs said he went 3 years or so not wearing denim because he also thinks they’re terrible.
http://whycantmybestfriendbeme.blogspot.com/
I can’t wait for the next Chanel designer to point out the Kaiser’s mistakes
you know what i find ironic is that chanel was quoted saying something to the extent of men should not make woman’s clothes…and here he is criticizing her…she must be rolling in her grave
It’s also funny because I more than vaguely recall Karl saying that coco’s innovations are so numerous that he could work within the Chanel archive forever, or something.
I also just think he must have an understandably heightened idea of how highly people think of Chanel.
i vaguely remember a similar comment…he must have forgotten his understanding of how people think of Chanel when he decided to talk about Chanel’s ‘mistakes’ ;)
I can’t wait for the next Chanel designer to point out the Kaiser’s mistakes
I can’t wait for the next Chanel designer to point out the Kaiser’s mistakes
I don’t even think it’s relevant if we agree with him or not. I just find his statement completely disrespectful. Hhe wouldn’t even exist in the fashion world if it wasn’t for that “86-year-old lady” and HER brand. And really, what’s the big fuzz about KL anyways? I prefer Lanvin and Alber Elvaz a million times over him and Chanel. Just a personal preference anyways.
I’m so excited for alber elbaz AT Chanel
Cross your fingers
REALLY?!
Reaaally?
He just pointed out her mistakes. Just because she was a legend doesn’t mean she didn’t make any. Also, the jeans comment is totally bang on. I’m sorry, but dissing jeans is just pretentious and these sort of statements are what make fashion sound like it’s full of only people like that.
I agree with Coco. Denim is mostly awful if you really think about it. Mini skirts are horrendous as well. The truth is that CoCo would hate what Karl did with the company. Yes he made it more profitable, but he made it also made it ridiculous. Let me illustrate my point in words:
Seasonal nail polish. Chanel. Handbags. Sunglasses. Uggs. Kardashian Sisters. L. Conrad. Montag.
All of these things go together don’t they? Yes. I’m going to go with CoCo on this one.
You forgot those atrocious temporary tattoos. WHAT THE HELL??? Where I come from, those are sold in the beach for less than a buck. Only children and drunken people buy those… as a joke!
You forgot those atrocious temporary tattoos. WHAT THE HELL??? Where I come from, those are sold in the beach for less than a buck. Only children and drunken people buy those… as a joke!
You forgot those atrocious temporary tattoos. WHAT THE HELL??? Where I come from, those are sold in the beach for less than a buck. Only children and drunken people buy those… as a joke!
Not to mention, the Dior new look and chanels suits were infinitely more elegant and chic than Mary quants first mini skirts. It isn’t the same as our idea of a mini skirt.
Also, denim was hideous then and is only occasionally not hideous now. Karl, for his part, makes some of the most hideous denim in the world. I cringed over that father/son denim ensemble, I admit it.
Hating jeans is being a little pretentious, don’t you think? Fine, this may be a little disrespectful but I agree with Karl. Coco may have done many great things some of her ideas were quite bizarre.
And all hail miniskirts. “No man finds miniskirts sexy”? Erm. Which men are these?
And Karl is not an overrated designer. Sacrilege! IAN, BACK ME UP.
I’m not Ian but I second and third that!
Hunnie what happened to my 4th comment in this thread?!!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No clue–Disqus sometimes messes up!
Chill.
Jokes, Love….all jokes.
I think Chanels first mistake was becoming a Nazi sympathizer and then sleeping with a Nazi and running to Switzerland after the war so you could avoid getting her head shaved like all the other Parisienne female traitors.I think she is one of the most overrated icons in history. I prefer Schiaparelli anyday. I find it ironic that Karl is basking in her legacy, disrespecting her in the media as fashionably unsaavy but at the same time making this horrid, blasphemus “film” using her as the central character http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxdZqoVFZbA Perhaps his first mistake?
Wow! Now imagine if that mini-skirt was made in Denim.
Wow! Now imagine if that mini-skirt was made in Denim.
It must be frustrating spending such a long period of one’s life working under someone else’s name. Its a wonder he never pointed out one of her mistakes before, though I don’t think it sounds like a criticism per se. He shows great restraint, unlike some of his fellow German designers.
Yeah, it IS too bad that his eponymous brand is one of the most unsuccessful ventures he’s been associated with. ;)
“Coco did a lot but not as much as people think.”
Hmm. Lagerfeld did a lot too, but I think his greatest accomplishment to date has been going from a fanned fatty with a Steven Seagal ponytail to a slender prig with a Steven Seagal ponytail.
Wow, harsh.
Harsh indeed… but SO true.
I don;t care about Ms Chanel personality. I just think his attitude is wrong, that’s it. So she didn;t like minis or denim? IT WAS A DIFFERENT WORLD BACK THEN! Maybe she didn;t foresee the huge fashion impact of those pieces. OK, she had no future telling skills. Big deal.
Whether she was a Nazi or not, or she was a visionary or not, is irrelevant. Point here is that he would be a NOBODY without her. It’s not that hard to show some respect for the person who built the empire that you are now working at, is it?
agreed.
it’s not just that he is working there, but the fact is the Chanel name is making him millions of dollars. Talk about biting the hand that feeds.
“Coco did a lot but not as much as people think.”
Hmm. Lagerfeld did a lot too, but I think his greatest accomplishment to date has been going from a fanned fatty with a Steven Seagal ponytail to a slender prig with a Steven Seagal ponytail.
What both of these characters have in common is that they are both incredibly arrogant. Karls worst moments had to be when he hiked up skirts during one of his first shows and was panned very badly for it. I am sure Cocos comment has stuck in his craw for all these years.
Coco was many things … probably an offhand quote to a reporter from the point of view of a very old woman.
Karl is right of course. Coco rocked a lot of things but she was very human and often on the wrong side.
Chanel is a legend and introduced so many things – the black day dress (LBD) when black had been reserved, for many years for deep mourning, the use of knits to make garments more comfortable, costume jewellry to be celebrated in its own right, not simply as copies of fine jewellry – and so much more. KL has done a great job in revitalizing the House. Before Karl (BK), Chanel was seen as dowdy, in no way hip, and the preserve of the elderly. Karl focussed on elements in the archive such as camellias, costume pearls and jewellry, the quilted belts with chains, the classic suits and made them younger and desirable again. He has introduced so many new lines since CC’s time. CC was revolutionary for her time, KL is not – but he has done a darn good job in building the brand.
@Viv, do you know the background to his weight gain? It is truly heartbreaking, I wouldn’t poke fun at him being a former fatty.
Priceless!
http://www.nattystyleinthecity.blogspot.com