Galeries Lafayette Karl: Chanel may hate me

Karl Lagerfeld lectures at the Paris University of Political Science

Chanel Artistic Director Karl Lagerfeld (known as "The Lafayette") was a visiting professor at the Political University of Paris a few days ago. He opened a "Master Class" to lecture hundreds of students for two hours.

"I use it for 48 hours a day."

"I didn't go to school. I don't have time." This is the opening speech of Galerie Lafayette to hundreds of elite college students. When he was 16 years old, he left Germany and the country to come to Paris to make a living and join the fashion industry. "It is good to go to school, but it is not enough."

Karl Lagerfeld's lectures are funny and sometimes sharp, but they are often profound. Behind the pair of sunglasses, in front of the coke on the table, he enchanted all the audience. "I spent 48 hours a day using it," and with a quick tone, he described his non-stop working rhythm.

"Chanel may hate me"

Lafayette designs works for three brands. “The same thing drives another thing. Chanel is the French version of me, Fendi is the Italian version of me, and Lagerfeld is my own version.” He said: “I never met Miss Coco Chanel. Encountered, otherwise she would hate me."

When he was appointed Chanel Art Director from 1982, Lafayette recalled that the brand was “stained with dust”. In this regard, he chose the "dream wake up" development strategy. "We must respect the world, but if we want to survive, we must not be self-styled and we must be flexible." He advised the young students in the 20-year-old to be young.

"Elegance just changed its appearance."

He described himself as "hard pushing" and "exaggerating" many of Chanel's traditions. "From the 1954s to the 1960s, the Chanel series did not have camellia. Many people say that grace has died. Wrong! Elegance just changed its appearance." He thought: "It is up to us to adapt to the changes of the times, not to the times. ”

"We always have room for improvement."

Whose music is he listening to now? Answer: Lorde, a 16-year-old New Zealand topic singer. “The most important thing is now.” “I never went to the flea market. The atmosphere of selling after death was frustrating.” He felt fortunate for modern people: "In the modern age, it doesn't take too much money to dress yourself." "Therefore, luxury goods must be put into great efforts to stand out." He thinks that Chanel must be updated every two months. A product can continue to attract customers." "We can't let those products that have been in existence for six months still sway in front of us," he said.

What does he think his greatest achievement is? He replied: "What I do in the future. We always have room for improvement." Karl Lagerfeld began designing clothing every morning after reading the newspaper. Sometimes he even "read 20 books at a time." He read French, English and German books.

What is his "only regret"? Answer: Can't play the piano.