Photo: Courtesy of Instagram @jpgaultierofficial
Paris holds a special place in the heart of the fashion world, and figures across the industry have been grieving with the city after the terrorist attacks on Charlie Hebdo on Wednesday. Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci, among others, posted the following quote on social media from Voltaire: “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the death your right to say it.” Jean Paul Gaultier published a picture of himself and his team holding signs that read “Je suis Charlie,” and Julien David posted a variation of the same slogan on Instagram. Fashion publications like French Vogue and French Elle have paid tribute on their websites this week as well.
Karl Lagerfeld told WWD: “It’s horrible. I’ve been physically sick since [Wednesday]; I think it’s very bad for the image of Paris, though I’m very much against French bashing.” He also said, “Perhaps we all do like Galliano and do something else,” referring to the designer’s decision to present his debut collection for Maison Martin Margiela in London rather than Paris. “It really puts your feet on the ground,” Lagerfeld added. “You realize fashion is a beautiful bubble in the world.”
Pierre Bergé, longtime business partner of Algerian-born Yves Saint Laurent, who has had homes in Morocco since the ’60s, said, “What happened is absolutely vile, but it’s important not to confuse things. We must not tar everyone with the same brush.”
Read more about responses from the French fashion world in WWD.
—Austen Rosenfeld, Style.com
