--- title: Karl Lagerfeld Dies: Fashion Designer's Most Iconic Quotes description: Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director for the House of Chanel, has died in Paris at the age of 85. Here are some of his most memorable quotes. canonical: https://time.com/5532429/karl-lagerfeld-quotes/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-02-19T17:11:14.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-04-13T07:57:32.188Z og:title: Here Are Some of Karl Lagerfeld's Most Iconic Quotes og:description: "I am like a caricature of myself" og:url: https://time.com/5532429/karl-lagerfeld-quotes/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e19335b030899ce/6989455ab21a9c5afa5001e5/karl-lagerfeld-quotes.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 594 og:image:height: 334 og:image:alt: Karl-Lagerfeld-Quotes og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Here Are Some of Karl Lagerfeld's Most Iconic Quotes twitter:description: "I am like a caricature of myself" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2e19335b030899ce/6989455ab21a9c5afa5001e5/karl-lagerfeld-quotes.jpg?branch=production&width=594&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'I Am Like a Caricature of Myself.' Here Are Some of Karl Lagerfeld's Most Memorable Quotes > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME The Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition The Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors. The Brief brings TIME's perspective to the day's most important stories, helping readers understand not just what is happening, but why it matters. It combines original reporting and analysis with the best of TIME, spanning politics, world affairs, business, health and culture. 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The Brief is available free at time.com/newsletters, where readers can select it along with any of TIME's other six newsletters. There is no subscription required to receive it. #### Is The Brief free? Yes. The Brief is a free daily email newsletter from TIME. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes The Brief? The Brief is led by editor Richard Hall and draws on reporting from TIME's newsroom. Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically.  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Feb 19, 2019 5:11 PM UTC  Karl Lagerfeld attends the 2017 WWD Honors at The Pierre Hotel on October 24, 2017 in New York City. Karl Lagerfeld attends the 2017 WWD Honors at The Pierre Hotel on October 24, 2017 in New York City.Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Feb 19, 2019 5:11 PM UTC [Karl Lagerfeld](http://time.com/5532295/karl-lagerfeld-dies/), the iconic creative director for the House of Chanel, [died in Paris at the age of 85](https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2019/02/19/le-couturier-karl-lagerfeld-directeur-artistique-de-chanel-est-mort%5F5425296%5F3382.html) on Tuesday, leaving behind a [fashion legacy](http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2110513%5F2110512%5F2110689,00.html) that will inspire generations of designers to come. Lagerfeld landed his first job in the fashion industry in 1955 as an assistant to French designer Pierre Balmain. He spent the next two decades freelancing for a number of the world’s top fashion houses, including Krizia, Valentino, Chloe, Repetto, Curiel and Fendi before taking over at Chanel in 1983, 12 years after founder Coco Chanel’s death. He is credited with transforming the house into one of the world’s most profitable luxury brands But Lagerfeld was not just famous for the clothing, jewelry and perfume he designed; he will also be remembered for his candid — and sometimes controversial — comments on fashion and style as well as his career and lifestyle, including, of course, that [Karl Lagerfeld sweatpants quote](https://www.karl.com/us/book%5Fcod51120302jl.html). Here are some of Karl Lagerfeld’s most memorable quotes. ## On selfies: “I don’t do selfies. But other people do, and they all want to do selfies with me. No, no, no. Thank God, Sébastien, my assistant, he’s mean to the people in the street, mean and rude. I’m a nice person.” —[New York ](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/fashion/karl-lagerfeld-on-fur-yea-selfies-nay-and-keeping-busy.html)[_Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/fashion/karl-lagerfeld-on-fur-yea-selfies-nay-and-keeping-busy.html), 2015. ## On technology: “The iPod is genius. I have 300.” — [2006](https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/karl-lagerfeld-famous-quotes) ## On fashion shows: “I’m a kind of fashion nymphomaniac who never gets an orgasm.” — [1984](https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/karl-lagerfeld-famous-quotes) ## On his designs: “Improvise. Become more creative. Not because you have to, but because you want to. Evolution is the secret for the next step.” — [_Harper’s Bazaar_](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a363/karl-lagerfeld-fashion-therapy-0309/), 2009 ## On weight loss: “I lost 200lb to wear suits by Hedi Slimane.” — [2004](https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/karl-lagerfeld-famous-quotes) ## On sweatpants: “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweatpants.” — [_The World According to Karl_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/2080202871/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=2080202871&linkId=dd423e50589526a7abd1e45c383f6478), 2013. ## On spending money: “If you throw money out of the window throw it out with joy. Don’t say: ‘one shouldn’t do that’ – that is bourgeois.” — [2007](https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/karl-lagerfeld-famous-quotes) ## On his legacy: “I’ve always known that I was made to live this way, that I would be this sort of legend.” — [_The World According to Karl_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/2080202871/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=2080202871&linkId=dd423e50589526a7abd1e45c383f6478), 2013. ## On his diet: “I only like what I’m allowed to like. I’m beyond temptation. There is no weakness. When I see tons of food in the studio, for us and for everybody, for me it’s as if this stuff was made out of plastic. The idea doesn’t even enter my mind that a human being could put that into their mouth. I’m like the animals in the forest. They don’t touch what they cannot eat.” — [_The Independent_](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/being-karl-lagerfeld-whats-it-like-being-the-most-powerful-man-in-fashion-6256091.html), 2011 ## On Chanel: “What I’ve done, Coco Chanel would never have done. She would have hated it.” — [_The World According to Karl_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/2080202871/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=2080202871&linkId=dd423e50589526a7abd1e45c383f6478), 2013. ## On color: “Black, like white, is the best color. They both look great with added color touches like red.” — [_Harper’s Bazaar_](https://www.harpersbazaar.com/culture/features/a363/karl-lagerfeld-fashion-therapy-0309/), 2009. ## On wedding dresses: “Normally, I don’t recommend me for wedding dresses — they all get a divorce.” — [2012](https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/karl-lagerfeld-famous-quotes). ## On men in fashion: “I’m not crazy to discuss fashion with men. I couldn’t care less about their opinion.” — [New York ](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/fashion/karl-lagerfeld-on-fur-yea-selfies-nay-and-keeping-busy.html)[_Times_](https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/05/fashion/karl-lagerfeld-on-fur-yea-selfies-nay-and-keeping-busy.html), 2015. ## On his persona: “I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that.” — [_The World According to Karl_](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/2080202871/ref=as%5Fli%5Fqf%5Fasin%5Fil%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=time037-20&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=2080202871&linkId=dd423e50589526a7abd1e45c383f6478), 2013. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5532429/karl-lagerfeld-quotes/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5532429/karl-lagerfeld-quotes/"},"headline":"'I Am Like a Caricature of Myself.' 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