Though Chanel just laid off 200 workers and canceled its Mobile Art exhibit, Karl Lagerfeld remains optimistic about the economy and the business of creating needlessly expensive items of apparel. He pontificated on the economic downturn to the BBC:

"I see it like a cleaning up — it was too rotten anyway — so it had to be cleaned up … I see it like a healthy thing — horrible but healthy, like some miracle treatment of the world."

You know, like the lemonade "detox" diet. You lose a lot and it makes you feel like hell, but at least your insides won't be such a mess when you're done. (An aside: Karl himself lost 93 pounds in thirteen months "seemingly through rigid will power." Or perhaps his ability to employ a personal dietician and chef to make him quail eggs and aspic.) Karl continues:

"I can be interested in a $20m diamond I will never buy, without desiring the diamond. If you want only things you can afford, it's boring too.

"It's great to see things you may not buy — because you don't have the money — but it is very ugly to think they shouldn't exist because you can not buy them."

Can't argue there. We'll never be able to afford anything couture, but we'd never not want to look at the clothes. And Karl's thoughts on fur:

"As long as you wear leather and eat meat, don't discuss that.

"In a meat-eating world, wearing leather for shoes and even clothes and handbags, the discussion of fur is childish."

Oh, whatever. Discuss, commenters!

Cutting words from the master [BBC via WSJ]