Karl Lagerfeld, creative director of Chanel and Fendi, as well as for his eponymous label, is an iconic figure in the fashion industry.
Lagerfeld is well-known for his trademark white ponytail and dark shades — and for his high-production shows and daring designs. But the designer is also known for his candor, and his outspoken nature has gotten him into hot water at times, such as when he called singer Adele “a little too fat” and when he said he didn’t like Pippa Middleton’s looks, adding that she should “only show her back.”
While he has caused some controversy by speaking out, Lagerfeld has also produced a bevy of memorable quotes over the years. Here’s a look at seven of the 84-year-old’s noteworthy quotes.
On his feelings following a fashion show, in 1984:
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“I’m a kind of fashion nymphomaniac who never gets an orgasm.”
On living by himself, in 1997:
“I live in a set, with the curtains of the stage closed with no audience — but who cares?”
On ugly and short people, in 2003:
“Life is not a beauty contest, some [ugly people] are great. What I hate is nasty, ugly people. The worst is ugly short men. Women can be short, but for men it is impossible. It is something that they will not forgive in life — they are mean and they want to kill you.”
On keeping healthy, in 2006:
“Vanity is the healthiest thing in life.”
On taking pictures, in 2007:
“What I like about photographs is that they capture a moment that’s gone forever, impossible to reproduce.”
On fur and leather in fashion, in 2010:
“It is farmers who are nice to the cows and the pigs and then kill them. It’s even more hypocritical than hunters. At least the hunters don’t flatter the animals. I don’t like that people butcher animals, but I don’t like them to butcher humans either, which is apparently very popular in the world.”
On beauty, in 2014:
