Karl Lagerfeld’s recurrent anti-woman and body-shaming comments probably aren’t great career moves for a Chanel and Fendi designer who thrives on appealing to women. He first got under my skin when giving an interview with Harper’s Bazaar… as Coco Chanel herself. When asked if she was still a feminist, the faux Coco Lagerfeld clumsily responded, “I was never a feminist because I was never ugly enough for that.” Wow. Not only did he do a disservice to the woman who pioneered liberating art-deco flapper designs, but he also made himself look like a total ignoramus.
Oh, and there was that time he discriminated against plus-sized models, citing the errant idea, “No one wants to see curvy women on the catwalk.” As if this wasn’t enough, he totally derailed a conversation on French health care by body-shaming; he said that the country struggled due to “all the illnesses contracted by people who are too fat.” Really?!
Fortunately, this last remark hasn’t gone unchecked. Bette Aubriere, the president of “Belle Ronde, Sexy et Je M’assume,” an association for women’s rights whose title translates as “Beautiful, Curvy, Sexy, and Okay with it,” explains that “We’re fed up. Many young girls are insecure and hearing such comments is terrible for them.” Her association is filing a complaint against the designer and hopes to see him fined. Although they aren’t seeking money, they want a chance to “respond to and confront” him. Let’s hope these brave women make a difference in the way the fashion industry, and the global community as a whole, views women and our bodies.
Thanks to New York Magazine and Huffington Post
Images via The Sydney Morning Herald
