Yesterday, 40-year-old fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead. He committed suicide by hanging. Since his death was confirmed, tributes and prayers have been offered all around the world by models, celebrities and McQueen’s fellow designers. It didn’t even occur to me that Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld (otherwise known as The Anger-Bear) would chime in on McQueen’s death, much less that Karl’s comments would be somewhat cryptically disrespectful. Karl said: “I found his work very interesting and never banal. There was always some attraction to death, his designs were sometimes dehumanised. Who knows, perhaps after flirting with death too often, death attracts you.” Um… Karl? You couldn’t just say “I’m devastated, my thoughts and prayers are with his family” or something like that? Or am I reading this the wrong way? Is the Anger-bear trying to… (gasp)… feel something? Something close to… emotional pain? Anyway, the BBC has more tributes to McQueen, and here are some of the highlights:
Celebrities and friends have paid tribute to British fashion designer Alexander McQueen, following his sudden death at the age of 40.
In a statement, Victoria Beckham said: “Today, the fashion industry has lost a true great. An icon of all time. He made all he touched beautiful and will be desperately missed. My heart is very much with his family and friends at this very sad time.”
A host of stars left their tributes on the micro-blogging site Twitter.
“Very, very sad news about Lee McQueen,” wrote singer Boy George. “He was a genius, such tragic news.”
“So, so sad. Such a huge loss. He was one of my favourite designers. He will be missed.”
Kelly Osbourne wrote: “I am so, so sad to hear the news of Lee (Alexander) McQueen! I really just don’t know what say I’m really in shock.”Actress Kirstie Alley showed characteristic humour in her tribute: “Alexander McQueen, you made big bottomed and not-so-big bottomed girls all over the world look stunning… come back soon… give it another go.”
Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman said: “Lee McQueen influenced a whole generation of designers. His death is the hugest loss to anyone who knew him and for very many who didn’t.”
“His brilliant imagination knew no bounds as he conjured up collection after collection of extraordinary designs,” Ms Shulman added. “At one level he was a master of the fantastic, creating astounding fashions shows that mixed design, technology and performance and on another he was a modern day genius whose gothic aesthetic was adopted by women the world over.”
Pop star Cheryl Cole, who wore a £4,000 diaphanous McQueen dress to her 26th birthday party last year, said :”My heart goes out to Alexander’s family and friends at this unbelievably sad and tragic time. Fashion has lost one of its most talented and inspirational figures.”
Fellow singer Kelis, who was a fan of the designer’s outlandish “lobster” shoes, said “he was one of our gems”.
“His work was beautiful and will remain immortal,” the star said in a statement.
Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood said she was “incredibly sorry to hear the news”.
Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld said: “I found his work very interesting and never banal.
“There was always some attraction to death, his designs were sometimes dehumanised. Who knows, perhaps after flirting with death too often, death attracts you.”Matthew Williamson said he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the designer’s death.
“He was a genius and his talent was second to none. Like many others, I always cited him as a hugely inspirational leader of world fashion. He will be greatly missed.”Fellow designer Paul Smith said he was “extremely shocked” at the news.
“I have known Lee since his time at St Martins and gave him advice in the early part of his career. He was a very talented and creative designer, especially in respect of his tailored clothing.”
[From BBC]
Karl’s comments stick out like a sore thumb, don’t they? I wonder if Karl is going to take anything away from McQueen’s death, perhaps something to add to the ever-growing List of Hate. What does Karl hate from this experience that he can add to the list? Grief? No, too bourgeois. He’ll probably add “flirting with death” and “anyone who designs banal clothes, who don’t end up killing themselves.”
Thanks to Dlisted for the heads up!
And yet this crypt-creepin’ wraith is still scuttling across the Earth’s crust 👿
he hates everyone, even the dead. when his time comes and he dies no one will give him positive tributes
Well at least he sounds like he actually gave some thought to what he wanted to say instead of using the same overused expression. I think he kind of quotes Nietzsche here, the famous “And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you”
Isn’t it just amazing how some of the most hateful and self-absorbed individuals manage to have such long life spans? Or maybe it is just the Superior Being’s way of giving such individuals an oppty to redeem themselves? … Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem to work in some cases! Whatever.
I love Karl, and I think he’s often misunderstood. Yes, he hates with the fiery passion of a thousand burning suns, but I don’t read these comments as his usual snarky rhetoric, to be honest. McQueen’s designs were sometimes dehumanized, and frequently they were dark and morbid. I think, coming from one of his peers, these are statements of honesty about his work. And if you are Karl-Hate-literate, you know that being “never banal” is really high praise.
I love Karl, but I wish we still had McQueen, too.
lol @ Mairead!
“There was always some attraction to death, his designs were sometimes dehumanised. Who knows, perhaps after flirting with death too often, death attracts you.”
How ironic. And the Nosferatu getup with the powdered wig doesn’t even rate as necromantic?
He’s misunderstood like John Mayer is misunderstood. Please!
Unkle Karl scares the living fvck out of me.
Crest White Strips and VO5 hot oil treatments are an old ‘gal’s’ best friends.
Ugh, Lagerfeld gives me the creeps especially in the first picture…It looks like he’s saying can I stop smiling now it hurts.
Totally with you Princess Pea. Very sad about Lee McQueen. Can only hope he’s with Isabella, both pain free and tearing it up in fabulous frocks.
I think Karl actually gave McQueen a compliment. RIP.
You would think after designing for Chanel for the past 150 years Karlotta would have a sense of decorum. Obviously that is what he thinks, but right after someone has passed and everything is so raw, be pleasant you insensitive cow.
That does sound like a compliment, coming from him.
LOL @ gg: “And the Nosferatu getup with the powdered wig doesn’t even rate as necromantic?”
Yeah, what is it with that powdered wig, he is SOOOO creepy looking!
He’s a miserable dick. Get your teeth fixed you old bastard!
Maybe he’s telling us something…Did McQueen flirting with death and then found hanged have anything to do with auto-asphization?
Karl Lagerfeld stopped being emotional a long time ago, he seems to me caught in his intellectuality and rationality so many of his comments lack of empathy. Well, and maybe it is also a bit due to his education and upbringing.
But it is not a disrespectful comment of a colleague.
Britney Murphy now McQueen thats two down. I wonder whose gonna be the third. What a morbid thing to say but its what peopel will be thinking. Looks like 2009 wont be the only bloody year for both celebrity, and civilian.
CREEP CREEP CREEPY GUY! WHY HASN’T ANYONE TOLD HIM HE’S ALREADY DEAD?
I thought it was an insightful comment and as a previous poster said, not a cliche line. I thought he was paying McQueen a compliment. I also agree w/ GG. His “get up” is undead!
That first picture
is the greatest.
He looks like a joyful child, heeee..
He’s scary. Period. Death is scared of him.
As Princess Pea said, this is actually high praise coming from Karl, to say that McQueen was “never banal”. Karl is obviously of an age where death is always somewhere close. Of course he will think of it with some detachment and intellectualize it perhaps. He is merely musing on what was the nature of McQueen’s art, and what that may have said about what was going on with him on a deeper level. He was definitely NOT being disrespectful…
The remark wasn’t disrespectful at all (I took it as a compliment to McQueen). It may sound odd to some people, but Karl famously is not the most balanced person when he opens his mouth.
Though the Kaiser likes to be outrageous and shock people, deep inside, he’s not a bad guy. He tends be very nice and supporting when he likes someone. The people he made big in this business are countless. He’s generous. And his importance kind of entitles him to talk trash sometimes.
His importance? Wow, guess us little pee-ons should just shut-up and just keep the man in business. I mean, after all the rest of us HAVE NO importance except at the swiping of a credit card after that we’re all just toe-jam again! …I can’t believe someone actually wrote that!
Handsome is as handsome does.
Which makes Karl a very ugly customer. I understand hating on the mass of planet-clogging subcreatures just as a general principle, and mostly I hi-five it, but not shoveling mental and emotional asbestos at the undeserving and emitting toxic piggy squeals in pursuit of $$$. Like this tragic hair-dont has been doing for the last century or so. Just go away, Karl. No poems for you.
He looks like shit.
And he talks like an ass.
Lets not over analyze it.
It’s amazing how people smell MONEY and make excuses for the trash.
My grandmother was funny, she was also SENILE. This guy is beyond that and his money or “importance” is a joke.
He’s rich. And anyone who made him rich, is in need of help.
He’s a nasty human-hater, narcissistic, shallow idiot.
It’s obvious he wears a diaper. What does that entitle him to?
So your own senile parents get put in a home and this guy is “someone”?
Oh please.
I think he lost the ability to feel anything except contempt years and year and years ago.
Those teeth ewwww.
Dude’s wig is whiter than his teeth.
How can anyone read something bad or negative into KL’s statement??? His words have sincere thought to them, not like the hypocritical “oh, I will miss McQueen dearly (because now I have one less option to choose from for wearing to…)”.
na i think his comment was honest. in this business theres not too many friends, and thats what killed mcqueen.
and IF you know the designs macqueen did youll know what karl meant. and he is two persons by the way: a very nice and funny one to his friends co workers and stuff, but very different in the public eye. but never forget: hes is the head of not only chanel and he sells the brands with his public persona.
yellow corn teeth, ugh
I think Phil Spector is K.L´s bastard love child. Or the other way round.
Uh, Viper, Murphey died in 2009.
Several notables have died in 2010 already.
I don’t get what you all think is so disrespectful about his comments? For one, it shows that he actually looked at and thought and cared about McQueen’s work. It is much more thoughtful and philosophical than “Oh gee we’ll miss him so much!”
There’s nothing wrong with such niceties, but really they contribute nothing to the understanding of McQueen as a person, which Karl’s “insensitive” comment actually does.
You know, Karl himself has been thinking quite a bit more about death lately too, I believe. Which is expected as one gets older.
A lot of you must be 18 or so, with no experience of life.
Do you even know anyone over the age of 50 or 60 who is not related to you?
I myself am 38, but have actual friends in their 70s and 80s.
I have a feeling you kids wouldn’t like them either.