Not Everything Is About Fashion

Old man takes his final bow. No, not Karl Lagerfeld,

Karl as a young man

I was talking about Bernie:

I’m afraid Bernie is about to discover just how fickle the Millennials and post-Millenials are. (The world has yet to settle on a name for the newest generation – born in 1997 and later- even though they are already entering adulthood. “Gen Z” and “iGeneration” seem to be the leading contenders.)  Who needs another old white guy when they’ve got such a diverse array of bright and shiny morons from which to choose?

Should be fun. But getting back to Karl, the world has lost a fashion genius. And an enduring one at that.

Karl, in 1954 with model wearing his winning coat design:

Karl, 1977, Japan

With Anna Wintour, 1993

Reinvented, after losing 100 pounds, in 2006

He may be the last person alive allowed to get away with saying outrageous things. Like this recent criticism of Angela Merkel for offering refuge to refugees:

“One cannot — even if there are decades between them — kill millions of Jews so you can bring millions of their worst enemies in their place.”

And this old criticism of Michelle Obama’s bangs, when nobody else was allowed tor criticize her for anything:

I love her. But there is a news reader … which has this haircut,” he said. “Frankly, this doesn’t suit her. The fringe was a bad idea, it’s not good.”

Sometimes Karl’s comments were blunt but calculatedly so, other times you had to read between the lines. Like this “endorsement” of Barry I documented in this post from 2012. When asked if Barry deserved to win a second term he said:

Yes he does, especially because of Mrs. Obama. I’m a big fan of Mrs. Obama – and her face, I think, is magical.

He would not be there without her. There was an article by some stupid woman, I forgot who, and she said she [Mrs. Obama] was poorly dressed. Mrs. Obama is not a fashion statement, she has other things to do.

Such as potato sack races with Jimmy Fallon

So I want Mr. Obama who I think is very okay— because there is nothing better anyway — [to be re-elected], especially because of her.”

With that in mind, I helped launch Barry’s 2012 winning campaign:

So rest in peace Mr. Lagerfeld. And thanks for your fashion designs and political commentary. But as it turned out there was something better after all.

Not everything is about fashion. Or the hair.