The Tao of Lagerfeld
The aforementioned Vice interview with Karl Lagerfeld has been getting a lot of buzz, but it pales in comparison to a much lesser-known Lagerfeld interview I read a couple years back. Lagerfeld does not really suffer fools very well, so the Vice
interview is a little awkward at times: It seems that his responses are often terse, since he doesn't want to
waste energy giving his full insights to someone who can't
appreciate them.
In contrast, Stephen Short sat down with Lagerfeld for the March 2008 issue of Prestige Hong Kong, and was fully prepared, intellectually, to earn the respect needed to really bring him out.
Some of my favorite bits:
On the legacy of Chanel and his personal status as an icon:
May I tell you something? I like today better than before. The late ’80s were an awful time. I like today, or maybe I like my life today. I’m much happier today than I was then. And I never smoke, I never drink, I never take drugs. A lot of people today, they’re not that fresh, hmm? They don’t have that much energy.
When people talk about the good old days, I say to people, “It’s not the days that are old, it’s you that’s old.” I hate the good old days. What is important is that today is good.
On choosing a career:
I’ve never done anything else in my life and I don’t want to do something else, no. I’m not a frustrated writer or architect, I’m frustrated by nothing at all, and frustration is the mother of all crimes. I wanted to be in fashion and I’m in fashion.
On a classical education:
I’m very much in favour of teaching that [Latin and Greek] culture in schools. People are so uninformed today, hmm? The other day I had an interview with someone from a French magazine, who was so uninformed, I said, “Are you sure you were the right person sent to interview me?” I had to keep saying, “I don’t know what you’re saying, I don’t know what you want, so let’s just talk shop.”
...I hate amateurs. I hate improvisation. Serious work can only be improvised if you have a real base. It’s like the piano. When you master it, you can improvise everything.
On nightlife:
I don’t want to have a social life. I’ve had enough of that in my life. It’s démodé. It’s another era. Perhaps people are still excited by that era, but not me. It’s uninteresting today. It says nothing. It’s boring, pretentious and vulgar.
On staying healthy:
Have you never heard of pollution? Look [he takes off his gloves], I have no age spots on my hands. It’s not because I’m wearing gloves to cover them. I never went in the sun, so I don’t have them. I stopped sun because I saw how it worked on other people I knew and decided to stop a long time ago. I consider myself a kind of Ferrari, so I take care of myself.
In contrast, Stephen Short sat down with Lagerfeld for the March 2008 issue of Prestige Hong Kong, and was fully prepared, intellectually, to earn the respect needed to really bring him out.
Some of my favorite bits:
On the legacy of Chanel and his personal status as an icon:
May I tell you something? I like today better than before. The late ’80s were an awful time. I like today, or maybe I like my life today. I’m much happier today than I was then. And I never smoke, I never drink, I never take drugs. A lot of people today, they’re not that fresh, hmm? They don’t have that much energy.
When people talk about the good old days, I say to people, “It’s not the days that are old, it’s you that’s old.” I hate the good old days. What is important is that today is good.
On choosing a career:
I’ve never done anything else in my life and I don’t want to do something else, no. I’m not a frustrated writer or architect, I’m frustrated by nothing at all, and frustration is the mother of all crimes. I wanted to be in fashion and I’m in fashion.
On a classical education:
I’m very much in favour of teaching that [Latin and Greek] culture in schools. People are so uninformed today, hmm? The other day I had an interview with someone from a French magazine, who was so uninformed, I said, “Are you sure you were the right person sent to interview me?” I had to keep saying, “I don’t know what you’re saying, I don’t know what you want, so let’s just talk shop.”
...I hate amateurs. I hate improvisation. Serious work can only be improvised if you have a real base. It’s like the piano. When you master it, you can improvise everything.
On nightlife:
I don’t want to have a social life. I’ve had enough of that in my life. It’s démodé. It’s another era. Perhaps people are still excited by that era, but not me. It’s uninteresting today. It says nothing. It’s boring, pretentious and vulgar.
On staying healthy:
Have you never heard of pollution? Look [he takes off his gloves], I have no age spots on my hands. It’s not because I’m wearing gloves to cover them. I never went in the sun, so I don’t have them. I stopped sun because I saw how it worked on other people I knew and decided to stop a long time ago. I consider myself a kind of Ferrari, so I take care of myself.
The New Victorians
Karl Lagerfeld's recent Vice interview has me re-thinking my plans to get a smart phone. I know he's completely nuts, and I obviously can't afford to hire a personal letter carrier, but his dismissive put-down of always being connected is pretty sharp.
And even if I do spring for that Nexus One I've been eyeing, I'm definitely going to start using the phrases "I'm not a chambermaid" and "I'm not working at a switchboard" to explain any lags in email and phone call response time.
Your relationship to technology is kind of interesting.
Well, I hate telephones. I prefer faxes because I like to write.
Who are you faxing? Nobody faxes anymore. You’re like the only person with a fax machine.
People I’m really friendly with have faxes. Anna Wintour has one. We speak via fax. And in Paris I send letters to people.
That’s a lost art.
I have somebody to deliver letters all over every day.
You send a note over.
Yes, I send notes.
That’s very Victorian.
Yes, but there’s not one bit bad about the Victorian. Civilized living for me is like this. I’m not a chambermaid whom you can ring at every moment. Today, you know, most people act like they work at a switchboard in a hotel.
The whole culture of cell phones, texting, and instant messaging is very impersonal and also very distracting.
I’m not working at a switchboard. I have to concentrate on what I’m doing. The few people I have in my telephone are already too much.
"It's the clothes, not you."
"After working for nearly two decades in the fashion industry, she knows better than most that when the clothes don't fit you right, move on: It's the clothes, not you."
--from a profile of model Kate Dillon in the April 2010 issue of Vogue
Male readers may see this as a no-brainer, but how many times have we women hemmed and hawed in a dressing room, trying to convince ourselves that it could make sense to buy an article of clothing-- if only we lost 5 pounds, were wearing high heels, had a true need for a sequined cocktail dress, etc.?
I thought Kate Dillon's perspective was so simple and freeing. It makes so much sense to just move on if it doesn't feel good right away-- it's not like there's a shortage of clothing out there.
Dress shopping without the "W" word
One thing I learned in the past year is that any time a
product has the word "wedding" attached to it, the price is at least double what it should be. The first area in which this is apparent is
clothing.
For those of you who don't know, wedding dresses can be really expensive; I'm talking thousands of dollars, easily. And that's just at places like David's Bridal-- way before you get into Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier territory. That's fabulous if you can afford it-- but what if you're on a tight budget?
My wedding gown cost only $380. Needless to say, I'm really, really proud of that.
One of my favorite non-husband-and-wife photos from the wedding-- me and my college roommate and dear friend Katie Fernandez
My tips for getting dressed on your wedding day without going broke:
1. Don't go to a wedding or formal dress shop.
You can find the most amazing gowns at Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Saks... really, anywhere they sell clothes for the socialite set. I'd argue that $1000 will go much farther at one of these places in terms of craftsmanship, fabric quality, and tailoring than at a standard bridal shop.
For example, I found a long off-white gown at BCBG (the much lower end of the "designer" scale, obviously, but that's just where I wound up finding it.) I'm pretty sure it was meant to be a prom dress, but as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was "the one"-- and it cost just $380!
I took it to my regular tailor to have a large, sewn-on brooch removed from the front and the hem taken up. With just a couple of alterations, it became an exquisitely simple wedding gown.
2. Don't tell the shopgirls that you're shopping for wedding dresses.
Once you mention you're shopping for your wedding, you become the center of attention-- which, I'll admit, can be flattering at first. But soon, it becomes a drag. I started telling shop-people I was trying things on for a special formal party at which everyone had to wear white. I hate to lie, but it really just saved me from so much stress and pressure.
3. Save on the veil.
This one is major. I decided I wanted a veil at the last minute, so the day before the wedding I went to a bridal shop in Santa Barbara. I was shocked when the sales girl told me that their veils cost between $200 and $1500. I guess most people just buy a veil at the same time they buy the dress, and mentally, what's another $400 on top of a few thousand? But for me, spending that amount would have multiplied my budget! I left the shop feeling a bit embarrassed and very dejected.
But! That same day, my brilliant mom and sister had run to Michael's to pick up some ribbons for my flowers (more on that later.) While they were poking around there, they found a wedding veil for just $15. It was all bunched up and packaged in a little plastic bag, but when we took it out and steamed it, it was long, silky and gorgeous-- it looked exactly like the expensive ones at the bridal shop. So, don't be afraid to walk out of a store empty-handed: It can really pay off to shop around.
4. Buy nice, regular shoes-- not special bridal pumps or "Dyeables."
Shoes are the last thing to cut corners on-- more expensive shoes often just feel better, and comfort is really important on a long day like your wedding. But shoes made just for brides are often overpriced, uncomfortable, and so specifically designed that you'll never wear them again.
I spent nearly $100 on my shoes (and that was with a 50% off coupon), but they were simple, off-while Italian-made leather strappy sandals. I've already worn them a couple of times since the wedding, and they'll stay in my wardrobe for years to come.
The wrap up:
All in all, I'd say my ensemble was quite effective. With shoes ($90), veil ($15), alterations ($40 for shortening and brooch removal) and dress ($380 purchased in Pennsylvania, where there is no sales tax on clothes, woo!), my wedding day ensemble came to a grand total of $525. And, real talk-- I didn't feel a penny short of a million dollars.
For those of you who don't know, wedding dresses can be really expensive; I'm talking thousands of dollars, easily. And that's just at places like David's Bridal-- way before you get into Vera Wang and Monique Lhuillier territory. That's fabulous if you can afford it-- but what if you're on a tight budget?
My wedding gown cost only $380. Needless to say, I'm really, really proud of that.
One of my favorite non-husband-and-wife photos from the wedding-- me and my college roommate and dear friend Katie Fernandez
My tips for getting dressed on your wedding day without going broke:
1. Don't go to a wedding or formal dress shop.
You can find the most amazing gowns at Bloomingdale's, Neiman Marcus, Saks... really, anywhere they sell clothes for the socialite set. I'd argue that $1000 will go much farther at one of these places in terms of craftsmanship, fabric quality, and tailoring than at a standard bridal shop.
For example, I found a long off-white gown at BCBG (the much lower end of the "designer" scale, obviously, but that's just where I wound up finding it.) I'm pretty sure it was meant to be a prom dress, but as soon as I tried it on, I knew it was "the one"-- and it cost just $380!
I took it to my regular tailor to have a large, sewn-on brooch removed from the front and the hem taken up. With just a couple of alterations, it became an exquisitely simple wedding gown.
2. Don't tell the shopgirls that you're shopping for wedding dresses.
Once you mention you're shopping for your wedding, you become the center of attention-- which, I'll admit, can be flattering at first. But soon, it becomes a drag. I started telling shop-people I was trying things on for a special formal party at which everyone had to wear white. I hate to lie, but it really just saved me from so much stress and pressure.
3. Save on the veil.
This one is major. I decided I wanted a veil at the last minute, so the day before the wedding I went to a bridal shop in Santa Barbara. I was shocked when the sales girl told me that their veils cost between $200 and $1500. I guess most people just buy a veil at the same time they buy the dress, and mentally, what's another $400 on top of a few thousand? But for me, spending that amount would have multiplied my budget! I left the shop feeling a bit embarrassed and very dejected.
But! That same day, my brilliant mom and sister had run to Michael's to pick up some ribbons for my flowers (more on that later.) While they were poking around there, they found a wedding veil for just $15. It was all bunched up and packaged in a little plastic bag, but when we took it out and steamed it, it was long, silky and gorgeous-- it looked exactly like the expensive ones at the bridal shop. So, don't be afraid to walk out of a store empty-handed: It can really pay off to shop around.
4. Buy nice, regular shoes-- not special bridal pumps or "Dyeables."
Shoes are the last thing to cut corners on-- more expensive shoes often just feel better, and comfort is really important on a long day like your wedding. But shoes made just for brides are often overpriced, uncomfortable, and so specifically designed that you'll never wear them again.
I spent nearly $100 on my shoes (and that was with a 50% off coupon), but they were simple, off-while Italian-made leather strappy sandals. I've already worn them a couple of times since the wedding, and they'll stay in my wardrobe for years to come.
The wrap up:
All in all, I'd say my ensemble was quite effective. With shoes ($90), veil ($15), alterations ($40 for shortening and brooch removal) and dress ($380 purchased in Pennsylvania, where there is no sales tax on clothes, woo!), my wedding day ensemble came to a grand total of $525. And, real talk-- I didn't feel a penny short of a million dollars.
