Karl Lagerfeld: No Fat Chicks

International News, By Christian Taylor, 13th October, 2009

Karl Lagerfeld is not afraid to make a bold statement. Usually it’s his clothes doing the talking, but this week the German fashion designer commented on the “size-zero debate”, saying people prefer to look at rail thin high fashion models, and the only ones who don’t are “fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television”.

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71 year old Lagerfeld is the creative director of Chanel and has designed costumes for Madonna’s Re-Invention tour and Kylie’s Showgirl tour. His comments come after magazine Brigitte announced that it would no longer use professional models in its pages, because its readers could not relate to them.

“These are fat mummies sitting with their bags of crisps in front of the television, saying that thin models are ugly,” Lagerfeld said during an interview with Focus magazine. He said that fashion is about “dreams and illusions, and no one wants to see round women”.

The Guardian reports that Lagerfeld likes to keep trim himself, following a strict low-carbohydrate diet, saying: “I only like the things that I’m allowed to eat, so it’s not like I have to avoid anything, which is how I don’t put on weight.”

Brigitte’s editor, Andreas Lebert, said that the magazine is tired of using Photoshop to fatten up the photos of models.

“We will show women that have their own identity – the 18-year-old A-level student, the company chairwoman, the musician, the footballer.” The magazine is asking its readers to sign up for photo sessions.

Janice Dickinson, the loud mouthed, LA based world’s first supermodel has been another outspoken figure in this debate. In the past she’s made comments like, “I’m dying to find kids who are too thin. I’ve got 42 models in my agency and I’m trying to get them to lose weight. In fact, I wish they’d come down with some anorexia.”

She’s also said that people should love themselves, whatever shape they are, “but don’t expect the world to become like you if you’re not happy with yourself just so you feel better. That’s un-American and unrealistic, and not right to buy into a world where unhealthy either way is okay. All people should do what’s best for them. So that’s all I have to say about that issue.”

In 2007 supermodel Naomi Campbell said that the fashion industry is not to blame for the size-zero culture. Speaking at the Elle Style Awards where she was bestowed the honour of model of the year, she said, “You can’t blame the industry for a psychological disease. It is a disease, like alcohol or drugs, and the industry is not to blame.”

On an episode of her talk show, supermodel turned TV superpower Tyra Banks spoke out against body fascism, and criticism that she receives in the tabloids about her fuller figure.

“Luckily, I’m strong enough and I have a good support system and I love my momma,” said Tyra, before she put on a swimsuit and walked around onstage, saying, “But if I had lower self-esteem I would be starving myself right now, and that’s exactly what’s happening to women all over this country. So I have something to say to all of you who have something nasty to say about me, to other women who are built like me, to women whose names you know, women whose names you don’t, women who’ve been picked on, women whose husbands put them down, women at work, girls at school, I have one thing to say to you,” she points at the camera, slaps her thigh and yells, “kiss my fat ass!”