They said/We said: The best tidbits from Karl’s Metro interview, including thoughts on M.I.A.’s middle finger and Michelle Obama

Photography by Peter Stigter
Photography by Peter Stigter

If you were ever in doubt if Karl Lagerfeld had a verbal filter, his musings in Metro should clear things up. Acting as guest EIC, the designer took to the global newspaper to give his two cents (more like an entire change purse!) on various topics.

Amid the array of outrageous comments, the most shocking is calling Adele “a little too fat.” Lagerfeld has been known to weigh in on body size and has said before that those who criticized models for looking anorexic were fat “chip-eating, jealous mummies”—ironic coming from someone who’s no stranger to being heavy, having lost nearly 100 pounds in 2001.

Adele however, was not the only singer in his latest musings—Lana Del Rey also gets a mention. As well as the Greek economic crisis and Florence Welch, the designer had things to say regarding:

The Obamas:

“Yes he does [deserve to be re-elected], especially because of Mrs. Obama. I’m a big fan of Mrs. Obama—and her face, I think, is magical. He would not be there without her.”

On Russian men:

“If I was a woman in Russia I would be a lesbian, as the men are very ugly. There are a few handsome ones, like Naomi Campbell‘s boyfriend, but there you see the most beautiful women and the most horrible men.”

On M.I.A. giving the finger at Super Bowl halftime show:

“Nowadays people give the middle finger quite quickly—it’s not the best behavior. Everybody does that, what’s new about that? It’s just become a bad habit. People in magazines are 50 per cent bimbo and 50 per cent pregnant women.”

We can’t help but wonder if Lagerfeld’s silver ponytail is tied too tightly? And has he learned nothing from the John Galliano fiasco?

THEY SAID:

The Cut: “Unsurprisingly, he said some awkward, offensive things that everyone will chortle at and then dismiss. Oh, Karl!” [The Cut]

LA Times: “Perhaps Lagerfeld’s constant exposure to rail-thin fashion models has skewed his sense of a “normal” female body size. [LA Times]

WE SAID:

Sarah Nicole Prickett, contributor: “To quote those awful T-shirts they sell at truck stops: Adele may be fat, but Karl is ugly, and Adele can diet. Not that she should, of course. Karl’s misogyny is as monstrous as the appetites he works so hard to suppress.”

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