The 2023 Karl Lagerfeld Met Gala theme: Controversial vs Iconic T

Chantalle El Sharkawy Contributor

here has been a vast amount of discussion surrounding the 2023 Met Gala. This is known as the most extravagant night in the fashion industry that is scheduled year after year. The debate stemmed from the theme that was most recently revealed as Karl Lagerfeld.

Karl Lagerfeld can be argued to be both controversial and iconic.

This global event usually has a viewership of millions; as a result, controversies and issues surrounding racism, gender equality, and fatphobia are brought to light. This year, the discussion has begun before the actual event takes place.

Karl Lagerfeld was a designer with his own Karl Lagerfeld brand. He was the creative director of the Italian fashion house known as Fendi for the duration of over fifty years. Since his partnership with Fendi he broke the barriers of working with fur as a material, creating techniques that are still used today. He is also known as the figure who bought the brand Chanel back to life. Through his creative touch, he transformed it from just a boutique to a globally recognised luxury powerhouse. Lagerfeld had reported to the New York Times that he was warned against working with Chanel as people were convinced its time had passed and that it was dead. However, Lagerfeld took this as a challenge and revived it. He worked with Chanel from 1983 until his passing in 2019. Lagerfeld was strategic in keeping Coco’s identity present throughout the designs; however, he repurposed and reinterpreted these magnificent designs offering a new take and perspective overall. This ensured that the brand received the attention it deserved.

An example of Lagerfeld’s contributions to Chanel and the world more broadly speaking is the double C logo. This is significant and recognisable in the fashion industry. Lagerfeld invented this as a tribute to Coco Chanel after her passing. The logo is associated with many positive connotations helping advancements in communication and adding a new layer of meaning. Lagerfeld was a man of many skills, he continued to transform the fashion industry over time, therefore, he was indeed iconic. He created the ready-to-wear lines for Chanel as well as the couture lines which illustrated his design talents and innovation. Moreover, he was overlooking all the creative directing process of the

Do you believe Lagerfeld is an icon or a controversy, and can his designs and talents be separated from his identity and reputation within the fashion industry?’

Chanel advertisements.

The controversy, however, does come in due to the reputation associated with Lagerfeld. His designs, creativity, and the revolutionising of the fashion industry don’t go unnoticed. Although Lagerfeld was very vocal about his beliefs. Firstly, stating that runway models should be a certain sample size, this means nowhere over a size six. He mentioned that no one wants to see curvy women. Secondly, Lagerfeld was against the MeToo movement and has had some unacceptable views surrounding sexual assault. The third point is that although he was a gay man himself, he was very opposed to the idea of gay marriage.

Do you believe Lagerfeld is an icon or a controversy, and can his designs and talents be separated from his identity and reputation within the fashion industry?

More commonly asked, can the art be separated from the artist?