Karl Lagerfeld, the controversial German-born fashion designer who is the subject of this year’s Met Gala, has a mixed legacy in the fashion industry. While he was known for his achievements on the runway, his offensive blunders and tone-deaf remarks often overshadowed them. One of his most notable missteps was the 28-foot-high “iceberg” that he used as a set piece for his fall 2010 ready-to-wear show. The piece, which was sculpted from 240 tons of snow and ice and delivered via 15 tractor-trailers, was intended as a comment on global warming but missed the mark. Lagerfeld was also criticized for his use of size 0 models and his fatphobic remarks, which he defended by saying that “no one wants to see curvy women.” However, he was not without his admirers, and he was known for his ambition and dedication to his craft. Despite all his accomplishments, Lagerfeld claimed that he had nothing to say and that he was a “kind of fashion nymphomaniac who never gets an orgasm.”
