Daily Front Row

2009 February 17

Karl's in Charge

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The March cover of Harper's Bazaar
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(NEW YORK) Few designers speak about the recession with such delightful inconsistency as Karl Lagerfeld, but the Kaiser aims to provide some clarity on the matter(s) in an advice column he penned for this month's issue of Harper's Bazaar. In "Karl Lagerfeld's Fashion Therapy," Lagerfeld tackles questions proffered by the collective conscious known as Harper's Bazaar."...Can I still look chic by buying cheap?" one asks plaintively. "The most important thing is to sleep well," Lagerfeld commands, before launching into a lengthy explanation. "Try to have sweet dreams and no recession nightmares...Never use the word cheap...Don't use expensive clothes as a screen for your personal doubts...Don't play the victim: It's too easy...Evolution is the secret for the next step."

Next up: How to wear sky-high heels at, gulp, a cocktail party? "Please, your question is childish," Lagerfeld scoffs. "Don't drink when you wear stilettos. I can't advise you to get drunk at home to find out if you would be able to walk in them at a party. Plus, you aren't on the runway. Life should not be a fashion show. Only the girls in the shows have to wear unfinished prototypes. What you see later in the shops are safe--or safer."

Naturally, that classique Lagerfeld dogma is reiterated loudly and clearly. "Reinvent your look. Start at the beginning. Look at yourself honestly, and don't ask me to tell you what you want to hear. I am not here only to please you. My job is also to tell you that it's time for a little change. I hope you don't mind." Glenda Bailey, give this man a contract! The March issue of Harper's Bazaar hits newsstands today.
ASHLEY BAKER