Who is Karl Lagerfeld? And why was he the theme of the Met Gala?

This year, the famously known Met Gala, a yearly fundraiser event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, was on May 1st. At each Met Gala a theme is chosen (camp, heavenly bodies, Savage Beauty, ect.) celebrities then work with a designer to create a piece to present to the public. This year the theme was in honor of Karl Lagerfeld. Karl Lagerfeld was a German fashion designer. He started his career in the 1950’s and worked his way up into several large fashion companies including Balmain, Patou, Chloé, and eventually Chanel. Lagerfeld was most well known for his long-term association with Chanel, and is considered one of the “most acclaimed designers in the 20th century.” A debate has sparked as to whether Karl Lagerfeld should have been the theme of the Met Gala. Although the intention behind the decision was to honor the memorable designer, many are upset because of some of his problematic and controversial comments over the years. Lagerfeld had a history of making fatphobic, racist, and misogynistic remarks, which caused some designers to opt out of the Met Gala. One Met Gala coordinator stated that she didn’t want to “glorify a legacy that she felt was tainted by harmful sentiments.” On the other hand some feel that it is important to honor the hard work and dedication of the memorable Karl Lagerfeld. What do you think?