Why the 2023 Met Gala theme paying tribute to Karl Lagerfeld is so controversial

Celebrities and fashion icons from around the world have descended upon New York City for what could be considered the greatest theme party of the year: The Met Gala.

This year’s theme is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty.” The event will pay tribute to the late German designer, who died at age 85 in February 2019.

Lagerfeld was known for his work with Fendi, Chanel and his own eponymous brand. The former creative director was a well known contemporary of Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour, who has been at the helm of the annual gala since 1995. He had close working relationships with models such as Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Naomi Campbell and more.

But as fashion’s biggest night draws closer, not everyone is as enthusiastic about the theme, thanks to Lagerfeld's off-runway persona.

Back in January, the theme's announcement was met with near instant criticism online, as commentators questioned whether Lagerfeld’s contributions to the industry eclipsed his “fatphobic, racist and sexist comments.”

Writer Saeed Jones wrote on Twitter, “People can show up on the red carpet and recite their favorite Karl Lagerfeld quotes about fat people, sexual assault, immigrants and the Holocaust. So many to choose from. Bravo, Anna Wintour.”

Actor Jameela Jamil posted her reaction on Instagram: “This man... was indeed, supremely talented, but used his platform is such a distinctly hateful way, mostly towards women, so repeatedly and up until the last years of his life, showing no remorse, offering no atonement, no apology, no help to groups he attacked ... there was no explanation for his cruel outbursts.”

One group, known on Twitter as the HF Twitter Met Gala (high fashion twitter Met Gala) is known for celebrating the event on social media with its nearly 40 thousand follower count. But this year, the account has decided not to participate, per an April 17 tweet.

“As we approach the first Monday of May, the hf twitter met gala team would like to announce that we will not be celebrating this year’s met gala as our values don’t align with the selection of Karl Lagerfeld as the theme. We hope to celebrate with our community again soon.”

These “values” have been something of a discussion within the fashion community over the years, as Lagerfeld's six decade-legacy is paved with memorable garments and outspoken statements alike.

Here are the few that drew ire.

Weighing in on the #MeToo movement

A year before his death, the designer made headlines for his comments about the #MeToo movement, claiming he was “fed up” with it.

In an interview with Numero magazine, per the Hollywood Reporter, Lagerfeld criticized models who came forward about their experiences in the workplace.

“What shocks me most in all of this are the starlets who have taken 20 years to remember what happened,” he said. “Not to mention the fact there are no prosecution witnesses.” He went on further to complain about new rules on set that were put in place for the safety of models. “If you don’t want your pants pulled about, don’t become a model! Join a nunnery, there’ll always be a place for you in the convent. They’re recruiting even!” he said.

A history of fatphobic statements

Lagerfeld made comments on women's bodies both in and out of the fashion world.

In a 2009 interview with Focus Magazine, per the Guardian, Lagerfeld commented on a German magazine's decision to show "ordinary, realistic" women in photoshoots, rather than conventional models. He said the turn toward body positivity in the fashion industry was "absurd," as "no one wants to see round women."

He drew a contrast between the spectators and the models in the same interview, saying, “You’ve got fat mothers with their bags of chips sitting in front of the television and saying that thin models are ugly.”

Lagerfeld also came under fire for quotes about Adele's body. In a 2012 interview with Metro, he was quoted as saying the Grammy-winning singer was “a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice.” Lagerfeld followed up with an apology, saying his statement was take out of context.

Lagerfeld would later photograph a plus-size model for V magazine.

Kim Kardashian's robbery

The Chanel designer received criticism in 2016 for comments he made about Kim Kardashian, following the robbery in Paris that left the reality TV star shaken.

“I don’t understand why she was in a hotel with no security and think like this … If you are that famous and you put all your jewelry on the net, you (should) go to hotels where nobody can come near to the room," Lagerfeld said in a video captured by The Telegraph. “You cannot display your wealth and then be surprised that some people want to share it with you.”

Kim Kardashian will be attending the 2023 Met Gala, and has posted pictures with Lagerfeld's beloved cat, Choupette.

While no longer alive to provide a comment on these comments, Lagerfeld seemed to lean into his caricature-like image on purpose.

“You don’t ask a marionette what a marionette really thinks. I’m totally myself. I became 100 percent my image, so maybe there’s nothing else behind it. It’s like talking heads," he told Style.com, per Racked, in 2011.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com