Meryl Streep Will Not Wear Chanel Tonight, But Not Because She Was Paid
By Ani Bundel
Meryl Streep is appalled and offended that Karl Lagerfeld defamed her when she decided to wear a dress tonight not designed by Chanel.
The Oscars are not only movie’s biggest night, they are one of the Fashion Industry’s biggest night’s as well. High end actresses will be on camera on the red carpet decked out in finery and thousands of dollars of loaned jewels, and the competition to get one of those household names into your outfit so she can butcher it when asked by Ryan Seacrest who she is wearing is a fierce one. (We’re looking at you Faith Hill. Practice with us now: Zu-ha-er Muuur-add.)
But when the actress decides to move on and wear someone else, it is seen as utterly gauche to mention it in public. No one in the industry wants people to know that an actress they were courting decided to dance with someone else’s dress. Except, of course, for the man who is slowly becomes a dinosaur in his industry: Karl Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld, for those who don’t know designs both for Chanel and for Fendi, the latter of which is where he he works out his fetish for real fur, and the former where he regularly puts out collections so large he nearly reaches triple figures.
Lagerfeld is as known for his controversies as for his designs, from his use of fur to his open stance on promoting and encouraging sizism in the fashion industry. Apparently his little diva heart was so upset when Meryl Streep, who is on her 20th Best Actress nomination this year, decided to go with someone else’s designs he made up a false rumor of why she would do such a thing. It wasn’t that his design was unflattering, or that he is a terrible human being. Clearly she must have been paid.
Jan 29, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Meryl Streep arrives at the 23rd Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium. Mandatory Credit: Dan MacMedan-USA TODAY NETWORK
Speaking to Women’s Wear Daily, he said:
"“I made a sketch, and we started to make the dress,” Lagerfeld told WWD. Days later, a phone call came in from a member of Streep’s camp. “’Don’t continue the dress. We found somebody who will pay us,’” Lagerfeld quoted the messenger."
Streep was Not Even Having It. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, she fired back.
"A representative for the actress tells The Hollywood Reporter that the statement is false, and that it is against her personal ethics to be paid to wear a gown on the red carpet."
Chanel attempted to calm the waters with a statement to THR, in which they did not actually apologize for Lagerfeld’s false and defaming accusation, but babbled on about having respect for “Ms. Streep” while not actually respecting her enough to apologize.
Speaking to People, Streep made it very clear this was not good enough.
"“I do not take this lightly, and Mr. Lagerfeld’s generic ‘statement’ of regret for this ‘controversy’ was not an apology. He lied, they printed the lie, and I am still waiting.”"
Personally, if Streep manages to take Lagerfeld down enough that Chanel dumps him and moves on to a fresh face to overhaul their line, it won’t be too soon.
Update: Meryl Streep wore Elie Saab this evening. She looked fabulous.
Feb 26, 2017; Hollywood, CA, USA; Meryl Streep stands to the applause of the crowd during the 89th Academy Awards at Dolby Theatre. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY NETWORK
Next: The Best and Most Laid Back of the Independent Spirit Awards Red Carpet
The Oscars air tonight on ABC, with red carpet coverage on both that network and E! We’ll be covering the best and worst of the fashion right here on Culturess.