We live in a world where fashion designers jump ship after working with a brand for a couple of seasons. The most recent example of this is designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, who left Valentino for Dior this year after working at the former for nearly 17 years.
We live in a world where fashion designers jump ship after working with a brand for a couple of seasons. The most recent example of this is designer Maria Grazia Chiuri, who left Valentino for Dior this year after working at the former for nearly 17 years. Defying these norms is Karl Lagerfeld who has managed to achieve a feat that no other designer ever has.
It has been 50 years since Lagerfeld joined the sisters, Adele and Edoardo Fendi. Back in the day, the sisters hired Lagerfeld as a freelancer, a move that was considered unusual at the time. In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, Lagerfeld opened up about his experience with the brand.
“It’s the longest collaboration in fashion,” the designer says proudly of his record contract. “No one has lived long enough to do it for such a long time, and I’m not tired of it at all. I even think I work better today and have a clearer head. My work is a bigger priority now than when I was younger, and it’s a very good thing.”
However, perhaps the real reason behind this successful relationship is much deeper than Lagerfeld’s love for his work, which the designer himself admitted to. “I’m easy to work with,” he said. “I’m not on an ego trip. I’m only interested in the craft and the design and to work with people I enjoy. Many other designers have an ego problem. Most of them do. That’s really the problem.” Speaking of why the relationship survived all these years, Lagerfeld explained that he was free to expand his artistic vision. “I never had the feeling I was married, so it was like an open marriage situation. I’ve kept the passion because there is no exclusivity. I need the fresh air from the outside to see what’s going on. If you put me in a cage, I am worthless.”
