Local Bands You Must See: Frankie and The Heartstrings

Each week InJournalism will bring you the very cream of Mackem musical talent for your listening pleasure. This week in the form of Frankie and The Heartstrings.

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The ever controversial… Mr Karl Lagerfeld

The renowned Karl Lagerfeld hit the headlines at the beginning of this year with his flippant remarks about some rather controversial subjects.

The designer who has worked for names such as Chloe, Fendi and Chanel, was asked about fur worn within the fashion industry.  It was his reply to such a widely reported subject that found him at the centre of a widely argued debate having said: “killing those beasts who would kill us if they could.”

Lagerfeld then went on to cause more uproar when he was asked on a radio show about size zero models.  Lagerfeld again gave his own opinion on the tiny models walking down the runway and tried to divert the issue with little luck and said: “the bigger issue is the zillions of fat people.”
Whilst his remarks may appear arrogant it is that confidence that has created such a power driven designer and entrepreneur and led him to be renamed by Vogue as the “unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment.”

Born in Germany in 1933, his childhood was where Lagerfeld’s love for design and fashion first began, spending time sketching and designing.  As well as this, he was well educated, learning French, Italian and English along with his native German which would later contribute to his love for cultural art.
In 1952 he emigrated to Paris where he studied informally to be a fashion designer with the intention of getting involved in the world of French Haute Couture.  During his time in Paris, at only 16 years of age, Lagerfeld sent one of his designs into an International Wool Secretariat competition; the judges included such names as Pierre Balmain and Hubert Givenchy.  This would be the start of his designing career as he received an award for the best coat sketch which consequently resulted in Pierre Balmain offering him a job in his couture house. This coincidentally happened to be the same competition in which Yves Saint Laurent was awarded best sketch for a dress.

From this he worked in several other design houses until he began working at Chloe in 1959, where he would stay for 19 years.  His work for Chloe was highly influential and it is suggested that it was his contribution to the label which brought it back into the limelight in the 60’s.  During his time at Chloe he also started designing furs for Fendi in 1965 and in 1975 launched his own company, Parfums Lagerfeld.
He designed independently from 1978, after finishing designing for Chloe, and he began designing haute couture at the House of Chanel where he would soon become Chanel’s head designer. By this time he had designed for three of the most dominant labels; Chloe, Fendi and Chanel.  It is argued that Lagerfeld made them what they are today. Known not only for his designs, Lagerfeld caused controversy when he named his Fendi collection “shaped to be raped” but overcame the criticism and received France’s Golden Thimble award for his Chanel Haute Couture collection.

More recently, in 2004, he collaborated for H&M’s first ever collaboration.  Over 1, 000 shoppers entered the H&M store in New York, 5th Avenue, to see the collection he had specially designed.
As well as his work with Chanel, Chloe and Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld is well known for his trademark appearance including a fan, a white ponytail and sunglasses.  In addition to his expertise in fashion, Lagerfeld runs his own publishing imprint, a bookshop in Paris and has several art and house collections, perhaps stemming from his cultural upbringing.

Whilst Lagerfeld has already achieved much more than most designers, in and out of the fashion industry, you may be hearing his name again this year as it has been reported that Cameron Diaz has asked him to design her wedding dress for her marriage to British model Paul Sculfor.  So keep a look out ladies!
Examples of Karl Lagerfeld’s work can be found at www.karllagerfeld.com