Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) was noted for the lavish Grand Palais sets he conceived for the Chanel collections he designed each year. There was a rocket ship, a 30-foot Eiffel Tower, and Florence Welch singing on a giant half-shell at the Spring 2012 show. The best of all was the huge iceberg from Norway that Chanel shipped across the continent for the Fall 2010 show.
He remains highly quotable:
“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.”
“Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweatpants.”
“If you throw money out of the window throw it out with joy. Don’t say: ‘one shouldn’t do that’ – that is bourgeois.”