[ARTICLE] LAGERFELD'S HIGH STREET SPLIT

http://www.vogue.co.uk/vogue_daily/story/story.asp?stid=21193
LAGERFELD'S HIGH STREET SPLIT
KARL LAGERFELD has said that he will never work with H&M again, despite
the success of his creations this season. Accusing the Swedish retailer
of "snobbery" for producing minimal numbers of his designs, which sold
out in a matter of hours when they went on sale in 20 stores across
Europe last Friday, he said it had defeated his intention of making
clothes available to the thousands of people who could not afford to shop
at Lagerfeld Gallery, Chanel or Fendi.. "It was great to work with the
people at H&M as we all helped each other to make it a success," he told
German magazine Stern magazine. "But the incomprehensible decisions of
the management in Stockholm have taken away any desire to do it again.
They did not make the clothes in sufficient quantities. I find it
embarrassing that H&M let down so many people? I don't think that is very
kind, especially for people in small towns and countries in eastern
Europe. It is snobbery created by anti–snobbery." Lagerfeld was also
offended by the chain's decision to produce the clothes in larger sizes
than he had envisaged. "What I designed was fashion for slender and slim
people," said the designer who famously lost 42 kilograms two years ago.
"That was the original idea." Amused by the fact that the Lagerfeld for
H&M designs are already being bought for inflated prices on internet
auction sites, the German designer said it was simply a sign of the
times. "Everything goes," he said. (November 18 2004, AM)
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Poetic Badgers
"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. Aloud."
–Coco Chanel