Manolo’s Shoe Blog

Manolo Ayyyyyy! The Evil One is now armed!

Karl’s got a gun. Several dozen, in fact, and he showed them off at Thursday night’s carnival of a cruise collection, shown quite literally in the pool of South Beach’s famed Raleigh Hotel.

As the Manolo’ s internet friends at Fashionologie (from whom the Manolo found this story) have pointed out, these are not merely for the runway, but will actually be manufactured and sold by Chanel.

Normally, the Manolo would be tempted to read some greater societal message into the appearance of such overtly gangsta bling shoes on the runway, but it is clear from everything the Manolo has read that they are here only because his Malignant Karlness thought they were cool.

In other words, sometimes the fake gun is just the fake gun.

Manolo says, happily, this year, the Manolo was able to prevent the reoccurrence of this catastrophe…so far.

Manolo says, at last, something to put on the dashboard of your car…in Hell!

Already an icon in his own right, Karl Lagerfeld is becoming a collectible, too. The designer has collaborated with Pixi on a miniature lead figurine of himself in his trademark regalia. The doll is being issued in a limited run of 1,000 figures and is on sale exclusively in Paris at Colette for 200 euros, or about $300.

Skull Island, Secret Lair Playset not included.

P.S. Many thanks to the Manolo’s internet friend Genevieve for alerting the Manolo to this keepsake of evil.

Manolo says, in the past the Manolo has criticized Roberto Cavalli for his lack of restraint as the designer, but one could never say that Cavalli does not have the marvelous sense of humor. For what could be funnier/scarier than to appear dressed as Karl Lagerfeld?

Manolo says, here from the New York Post is the amusing review of the Evil One’s movie, Lagerfeld Confidential.

‘THE few people I know who knew me as a child say I was like a male Shirley Temple - rather unbearable and spoiled,” muses designer Karl Lagerfeld in “Lagerfeld Confidential,” the Rodolphe Marconi documentary that makes its American premiere at Film Forum on Wednesday.

The film is a compilation of behind-the-scenes footage from Chanel and Lagerfeld’s eponymous line, as well as no-holds-barred interviews with the designer and vignettes from Lagerfeld’s childhood. It offers viewers an unprecedented level of access to Lagerfeld’s private life.

In the documentary, his home - stashed to the rafters with books, magazines, iPods, Chrome Hearts jewelry and dozens of rails of black clothes - is on open display. So are the private moments, like Karl walking around in his bathrobe and Karl without his sunglasses.

Beware, the Devil’s Eyes!

Manolo says, the Manolo’s internet friend Helene at the Luxe Chronicles has two pieces about how the Evil One has worked hard to suppress negative publicity about his koo-koo-nutty ways.

The first post is about the omissions and manipulations surrounding the making of his new movie, Lagerfeld Confidential

After all, this is the man who went to extraordinary lengths to prevent the publication of Alicia Drake’s, The Beautiful Fall: Fashion, Genius and Glorious Excess in 1970s Paris in which she details the excesses, ambitions and feuds between le beau monde of that glamorous period including Lagerfeld’s longstanding feud with Pierre Berge and Yves Saint-Laurent. Why then would anyone think Karl Lagerfeld would actually reveal himself to us in a documentary film? He certainly didn’t reveal anything of himself in Loic Prigent’s documentary Signe Chanel for the Arte network in 2005. And why should he? Our celebrity obsessed, voyeuristic need to “reveal” every deeply personal and sometimes sordid detail of someone’s life is silly. Why can’t we simply accept his many offerings: beautiful clothing and accessories at Chanel, fabulously luxurious collections at Fendi and cutting edge cool from his eponymous fashion line?

The second post is about the purposeful suppressing of the new tell-all book, Merci Karl, written by The Evil One’s former assistant Arnaud Maillard.

And why is that you ask? That would be because it pertains to Karl Lagerfeld and Karl Lagerfeld works for Chanel and LVMH (he designs the Fendi collection). Both Chanel and LVMH spend astronomical amounts of money in advertising each year in the French, American and British press and cultivate very cosy relationships with all the major fashion editors. Consequently, the French fashion press will not touch this book with a ten foot pole. The book’s radioactivity extends to the British and American fashion press for the same reasons and it doesn’t stop there. Even Paris Match (France’s answer to People magazine) and Madame Figaro have omitted any coverage.

Happily for us, Helene has promised to give us the juicy details as soon as she can secure the copy of this book.

Manolo says, your mindless sycophancy has burnished the ebony of my heart.

Manolo says, thank Heavens, it is as the photographer, and not the model.

Manolo says, ayyyyy! Lagerfeld Confidential is coming to the Film Forum.

If you do not consider this ominous news, just read at the quote that accompanies this announcement…

“I don’t want to be a reality in people’s lives. I want to be like an apparition.” – Karl Lagerfeld

Ayyyyyyyyyyyy! We are all going to be haunted by Lagerfeld!