Karl Lagerfeld Skewers Angela Merkel in Political Cartoon
In the image, Hitler is seen thanking the German chancellor.
It's common knowledge that Karl Lagerfeld wears many hats (not literally, of course). But did you know that in addition to his roles at Chanel, Fendi and his namesake label, not to mention his various fashion photographer gigs, the 84-year-old also draws political cartoons and caricatures for monthly companion magazine to the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung?
According to WWD, the designer has been contributing since 2013; however, his latest creation is what's drawing light to it now. Lagerfeld skewered Angela Merkel in the cartoon, which depicts Hitler thanking the German chancellor for "inadvertently allowing my descendants to be represented in parliament," while a reeling Merkel asks, "What have I done?"
Last month, Germany elected a member of a far-right party to Parliament for the first time in more than 50 years, and it's clear where Lagerfeld is casting the blame. It has been widely reported that the growing support for the far-right party is the result of their anti-immigration stance, as Merkel has allowed thousands of refugees into the country. Earlier this month, Merkel agreed to cap the number of refugees at 200,000 per year, according to the New York Times.
"I am beside myself!" he told WWD of the far-right party's gain of power. "I hoped that something like this would never happen again in my life. I am ashamed of Germany."
The designer, who grew up in Germany under Hitler's rule, now calls Paris home.
Lagerfeld is not one to shy away from controversy. He has openly criticized women for their size (he called Adele "fat" in 2012) and said that Kim Kardashian's flashy lifestyle was to blame for her robbery in Paris last year.