What 2 of Fashion’s Biggest Personalities — Carine Roitfeld and Karl Lagerfeld — Really Think of France

When thinking of Paris, most people call to mind twinkling lights, luxurious living, and, of course, couture. However, Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director of Chanel, sees the ugly side of the city.

Ahead of Bastille Day on July 14, Derek Blasberg sat down with the Kaiser for his views on the place he has called home for decades. “This is not the most glamorous moment in Paris,” he told CNN Style. “Paris by night is a nightmare now. It is not a cliché anymore,” he continued, adding that inspiration for his fashion isn’t as much drawn from his day-to-day life walking along the arrondissements. Lagerfeld even goes as far as to claim that while the 1950s in Paris was like “an old French movie,” now things have changed into a world of danger and gloom.

While Lagerfeld’s point of view is a sad thought for many who idealize the French metropolis, Carine Roitfeld, the former editor-in-chief of Vogue Paris, feels a bit differently than the Chanel legend. The CR Fashion Book founder asserts that Paris is still the perfect place for high-fashion inspiration. “French ladies are classic with an edge,” she told Blasberg, the host of CNN’s weekly style show. “Perfection isn’t very sexy,” she said, explaining that Parisian style isn’t just what you wear but also the way you hold yourself, which is important when it comes to runway shows; whether it’s a slightly torn stocking or smudged eye makeup, Roitfeld feels that these style imperfections are what make the French woman elegant and dangerously sexy — still to this day.

So, while Lagerfeld believes that Paris has lost its Old-World beauty, his friend Roitfeld believes that the laid-back, classical beauty that Paris has always offered is still available — you just have to look for it.

Yet Lagerfeld concedes that while Paris has to make an effort to become Paris again, “in a way, Paris is the best place to show fashion.” So there you have it: Paris will never fall as one of the most important places in the world for fashion.

Check out the videos here (Karl Lagerfeld) and here (Carine Roitfeld) for the full interviews.

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