Karl Lagerfeld says banning fur is 'childish.' PETA's fur-ious

Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld, 75, doesn’t wear fur or eat meat, although he has long designed furs.

And he recently defended those who do wear fur in the the Telegraph, saying there's "an industry who lives from that."

Hunters in the north "make a living having learnt nothing else than hunting," he said, "killing those beasts who would kill us if they could."

He said furry beasts should be killed "nicely" if possible and concluded: "In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and clothes and even handbags, the discussion of fur is childish."

A spokesman for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals told the Telegraph that Lagerfeld had his facts wrong.

“Karl Lagerfeld is a fashion dinosaur who is as out of step as his furs are out of style. The vast majority of fur these days comes not from hunters, as he suggests, but from Chinese fur farms, where no law protects the millions of animals who are routinely beaten and skinned alive."

PETA added: “Lagerfeld’s childish refusal to acknowledge the needless suffering behind every piece of fur and listen to public opinion means that he is being overtaken in the style stakes by an increasing number of designers who believe that cruelty has no place in fashion.”

Maybe he's just mad about that fur-industry expose video that Stella McCartney sent to him.  The designer, who narrates the video, says Lagerfeld "felt he needed to return" it to her. Click here to see the video. But we warn you, it's very hard to watch. Wanna bet Karl didn't?

What do you think? Do you agree with the Karlmeister? Or should he be turned into an expensive designer coat himself to see how it feels?

Keep reading to find out how Karl feels about fat people versus skinny fashion models.

Hint: Tubby folks don't get much more sympathy than he gives to furry animals.

In an interview on BBC's Radio 4 show "Today," Lagerfeld lamented that the skinny-model problem was insignificant compared to the "zillions" of fat people.  He's quoted in the Telegraph: "In France there are, I think, less than one per cent of people who are too skinny. There are nearly 30 per cent of young people who are too fat. So let's take care of the zillions of the too fat before we talk about the percentage that's left."

Not surprisingly, his insensitive statement riled up members of the Beating Eating Disorders group, whose spokesman said Lagerfeld's comments about size zero models and their influence on young women were a very sad reflection "on attitudes within the fashion industry."

This may be the perfect time to note that WWD reports Chanel has had to fire 200 employees in France recently.

Awww, quelle dommage!

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Photo credit: WireImage

Comments

[lisamonteff]

Fur is wrong -no matter what. Karl needs to get that. Peta is totally right. He is completely out of touch-there is no reason why fur is still being used at all.

[Susan Hargreaves]

I have witnessed firsthand the nightmare inducing animal abuse that animals on fur farms and in traps are subjected to. There is absolutely no excuse for promoting cruelty. Harming animals for profit is just plain wrong !

[joe price]

karl fur is on the run for jetsetters. up with polyurathanyne. maintainance is elagance and welcome to the future.lagerfeld is great.

[Mia]

Long live Karl Lagerfeld! I love Donatella Versace, Marc Jacobs, and Dolce and Gabbana. Stella Mcartney isnt even a luxury designer and PETA treats her like royalty. I wear my my fox coat out of spite. Long live fashion!!