LAGERFELD

After finding myself at a loose end, twiddling my thumbs, i reached for my copy of 'Lagerfeld Confidential' that had been sat on my shelf collecting dust for a year.

One hour thirty minuets later i did not feel that i had gained an indepth insight into the eccentric designers life and was left feeling unaffected and some what disappointed by his creative thought process. I found myself more intrigued with his surroundings and the abundance of clutter and chaos that surrounded him. In the opening shot the camera follows Lagerfeld around one of his homes which resembles what can only be described as an Aladdin's Cave for creative people. His bed is surrounded by uneven stacks of magazines and books piled high, everywhere you look, in every corner of the room possible. The top of his chest of draws were spilling over with many silver rings as he searches for the three he wants to wear.I did however have to laugh when he opened a draw to reveal that it was filled to the brim with his trademark white, stiff, priest like collars.As he left his apartment he opened his draw and grabbed a collar in the same manor that we would grab our car keys. In the DVD he says that his designs come from his dreams and he fills in the rest. I watch on intrigued as he sketches a design in marker pen & tippex. TIPPEX??? He explains that tippex is his favourite drawing medium and how he uses it to convey satin. This is not something i had ever considered when deliverng the drawing unit to my 1st year fashion students. Well if it's good enough for Largerfield it's good enough for my students. All in all he came across as a very private man who regarded solitude as a victory and did not believe in making roots or getting attached to possessions. I could not relate to this in any way, shape or form ,however I did agree with his statement 'Fashion is work, not the highlife' as like many trades/jobs that are glamorised by T.V or glossy magazines, money and some clever advertising you enter the fashion industry with a very different idea to how it actually is and as i have watched and witnessed over the past seven years spent as a fashion lecturer it is only the individuals that spend every waking hour researching and independently trying to better themselves that succeed in this industry.

Witty moment of the film: A sign in the toilet that read 'Pissing everywhere isn't very Chanel'

My opinion of the film: A little clinical. I wanted to see the process of his 2D designs take shape into garments. Felt like a large chunk was missing for me.