LAGERFELD CONFIDENTIAL. February 12, 2009

Do you ever find out that you’ve missed something so important… so legendary, so monumental, that feel you nothing but shame at your own ignorance?  That’s how I feel right now.  I have been living in the dark. Unbekgnost to me, a documentary was made about Karl Lagerfeld in 2007 by Rodolphe Marconi.

 

Here is a summary of the documentary:

“For the first time, Karl Lagerfeld, the innovative designer who has ruled the House of Chanel for more than two decades, agreed to trust a director to create an artwork based on his life. After three years of crisscrossing the globe filming the outspoken icon, Rudolphe Marconi unveils the inner workings of the influential and enigmatic star.”

 

The DVD should be arriving in my mailbox any day now and I am just about dying with anticipation. An entire hour and a half of Karl…heaven.  I can only hope to be a wiser and more inspired person after I finish watching.

 

Here is a quote from the documentary I found online:

“I very much like the people in Houston, but I will not change in the pee-pee room of the Atlanta airport. I have to have a private jet,” - Karl Lagerfeld

I can only hope that Karl shares similar wisdom in the rest of the film.

Karl speaks: bling is demode! January 29, 2009

Clean out your hearts and your closets, people…Karl has spoken.   The UK telegraph recently ran a poignant article about Karl’s thoughts on fashion during the recession and he had some truly prolific things to say.  ”Bling is over,” Karl declared. “I call it ‘the New Modesty’.”  According to the article,

“This whole crisis is like a big spring housecleaning – both moral and physical,” the German-born Chanel designer told The New York Times. “There is no creative evolution if you don’t have dramatic moments like this. Red carpets covered with rhinestones are out.” Cutting back his own spending may not be a part of Lagerfeld’s strategy, but the implication for the rest of us is clear: where luxury was an attitude as much as a style of dress, we are to find a replacement in modesty.

So throw out your Bedazzler and break out those button-up collared shirts. It’s time for New Modesty.

Karl News Update: Karl to color/become a proper noun October 13, 2008

Wonderful Karl news comes to us from British Vogue:

Karl has appplied his design talent to the 2009 edition of the lauded French illustrated dictionary Le Petit Larousse Illustré (Larousse Small Illustrated Dictionary) – joining the ranks of Christian Lacroix and comic book artist Moebius as designers who have lent their aesthetic vision to the tome in the past.

Lagerfeld’s love of books is well known – his personal library is reportedly the size of a ballroom – and for the cover of the annual book he has illustrated the original Larousse motif of a woman blowing the seeds of knowledge, otherwise known as La Semeuse. Lagerfeld’s Semeuse is clad in naught but a pair of blue, elbow length gloves.

The black case is adorned with a photo-realistic sketch of the man himself accompanied by the words “Habillé par Karl Lagerfeld” (“dressed by Karl Lagerfeld”) and, for the first time, Lagerfeld has joined Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard in the dictionary’s proper noun section, reports WWD. The book is due for release on November 9.

Bunny Karl September 4, 2008

According to Highsnobiety.com, the Karl Lagerfeld Teddy Bear by Steiff, will be released in September at Neiman Marcus in New York and will go for above $1400 each. Who wants to buy me one?

More Deep Thoughts by Karl August 25, 2008

Nymag ran this Karl update today about Karl’s profile in this past week’s Times’ Sunday magazine (which I missed, boo).

Things we learned from this article:

1. Karl buys his shoes a size too small cause he likes how it feels.

2. Karl doesn’t like stupid and/or smelly people: “Yesterday [at the Chanel couture show] I had a problem. I said, ‘I’m sorry, you’ve got to tell this woman that she needs to be taken away. Her smell is not possible.’”

3. Karl would never, ever, live in a dormitory with other people.

4. Karl lives in the here and now: “The worst thing is when friends say, ‘Remember the good old days?’ Forget about the good old days! That just makes your present second-hand. What is interesting is now. If you think it was better before, then you might as well commit suicide immediately.”

5. Karl is grumpy at himself: “I’m in a permanent bad mood with myself, thinking I could always do better, that there is more. It’s like there is this glass wall, and I can’t get through to the other side.”

6. Karl does not fear death: “If you ask me, death and deep sleep are the same thing.”

If Karl doesn’t fear death, neither do I…

Breaking News: Karl to Solve Housing Crisis July 10, 2008

(Image via zawya.com)

Thanks to Jezebel and Refinery 29 for breaking this piece of REVOLUTIONARY Karl news: “On Dubai’s Isla Moda (“Fashion Island”), Karl Lagerfeld is set to outdo himself again, designing 80 “limited edition” homes, each Chaneled to the hilt.”

From zawaya.com: Dubai, July 8th 2008: Fashion icon, Karl Lagerfeld has signed an exclusive deal with Dubai Infinity Holdings (DIH)…Lagerfeld is to design limited edition homes on Isla Moda, the world’s first dedicated fashion island, set in the iconic development, The World. This will be an exclusive collaboration between Dubai Infinity Holdings and Karl Lagerfeld across the GCC and India.”

“The metamorphosis of art and beauty is my passion. The discovery of contemporary mediums of expression has allowed me to pursue my interest in art, beauty, architecture and progressive cultural exchange,” said Karl Lagerfeld. “Dubai is a fashion bud on the verge of blossoming into the next fashion hub of the world. The city is alive with culture and rich in personality, making it a perfect place for aesthetic, fashion and design to flourish. Isla Moda has tremendous potential to be the style icon of the future and I intend on driving the island to high style stardom,” he added.

Note to self: start saving money for 30th birthday trip with Mallori to Fashion Island in Dubai.

More reading: http://www.zawya.com/Story.cfm/sidZAWYA20080708091518

http://pipeline.refinery29.com/news/chanelements_lagerfeld_solves.php

Musings…. June 24, 2008

kerry:  this week is so demode

Sent at 1:19 PM on Tuesday

mallori:  totes… i mean, karl would hate this shit

he wouldn’t stand for it

Sent at 1:22 PM on Tuesday

kerry:  i know

mallori:  what do you think karl is doing right now?

kerry:  drinking a chilled diet coke, listening to one of his 80 ipods
wearing black

likely also wearing black finger-less mittens

mallori:  maybe sketching too

do you think he sketches or he just knows?

Sent at 1:26 PM on Tuesday

kerry:  idk man

he just knows

he has visions, obviously

Karl Kares June 19, 2008

 

This is an ad promoting road safety in France.  It says, “It’s yellow; it’s ugly; it doesn’t go with anything, but it could save your life.”  When French people’s cars break down, they are supposed to wear the ugly vest to keep people from running them over.  Good cause!

But umm, this situation would never happen to Karl.  First of all, he goes everywhere by private jet, and does not like leaving the house.  Secondly, if he does go out, he sure as hell won’t be driving himself.  And you better believe if his car broke down, he’d throw a fit, but probably go into the car following him for security.  Having one car only is so demode.

Karl update June 16, 2008

Thank you to J for capturing the below photograph. We had no idea that clothing homages to Karl existed but are delighted to learn of their existence and determined to find one of our very own. Below are some choices we have found after extensive internet research, and our evaluations of said choices.

1. Unknown tee:

Unknown woman on the T sporting a Karl cartoon tee. (Notice the Harvard hat, which proves that even the brightest and most educated members of society share our appreciation for Karl’s infinite wisdom and undefinable importance). Not sure where this tee is from. Does anyone know? Anyway, the simple outline of Karl’s face is commendable.

2. The “Love Karl”:

According to Think Fashion, “The black mercerized tee with white writing is available in a number of sizes and can be purchased online for $150″. Wait! There’s more! “Although his latest collection of ready-to-wear clothing is difficult to get your hands on, his “Love Karl” t-shirts are some of the hottest selling designs on the market. His unbelievable collection of designer clothing is expected to become the most popular label on the market.” I like the Love Karl, but it’s missing one key component: Karl’s face. To the untrained eye, this tee shirt could relate to anyone named Karl: Karl Winslow, Karl anyone.

3. Karl with Fan

Made by Clarendon, this shirt kicks ass. Karl is holding a fan for fuck’s sake. As you can see, this shirt contains the trifecta…the 3 essential elements of any Karl tee: 1) Karl’s face, 2) Karl’s signature and 3) a fan. The shirt is apparently available at Amazon. Further research tells us that THIS ITEM IS UNAVAILABLE? Fucking bullshit. Seriously, fuck this.

4. The Karl Tank

For when the weather’s hot and sleeves are superfluous. You know what though? Karl looks borderline creepster on this tank. Something about the white-on-black or weird model is just off.

So, that’s all we could find for now. But the quest doesn’t end there…we must find a Karl tee of our very own. The day we come face to face with Karl, God help us if we’re wearing some gay ass attitude tee from Urban Outfitters. It’s final: we must own a Karl tee.

Karl Quote! June 12, 2008

Lagerfeld  to American Friends of Versailles: “Look how many of these charming Americans are wearing my Chanel and how well they look in it. It’s an honor and a pleasure to help them.”