As part of the national launch of the 2010 Pirelli calendar, here’s an interview between Frédéric Beigbeder and Karl Lagerfeld.
Frédéric Beigbeder: -Why did you choose Greek and Roman mythology as your theme?
Karl Lagerfeld: -Because it’s my favorite religion: a god for every department. I’m a polytheist, all current religions are recent, I prefer this mythology without hell, without sin (this brake on happiness), without forgiveness.We need to return to a certain disciplined beauty of Antiquity. Simone Weil said that Jesus was a direct descendant of Prometheus, which caused a scandal at the time. I love goddesses because they were the first liberated women, entitled to everything. Divinities and muses are feminists!
F.B: -When did your fascination with the myths of Antiquity begin?
K.L: -The first two books I read at the age of 6 were Homer’s Iliad and the Nibelungen. Well, the Germanic tales scared me, but Homer had a huge influence on me, he completely grounded me. What’s great about ancient paganism is that the gods are multiple, souls circulate, there are heroes, demigods, genies and nymphs… Humans were less distant from the gods than in monotheistic religions. I didn’t know at the time that I would become a god myself! (laughs)
F.B: -Yes, but be careful: the gods are just mortals, only slightly improved! (laughs) So the purpose of these photographs is to found a new religion? I’d just like to say that, having leafed through it, this calendar has given me faith in your Olympus, and I’m an instant convert!
K.L: -Joking aside, what’s modern about mythology is the love of youth, the cult of the body, desire assumed without divine punishment, and the permanent homage paid to Nature. There’s an ethic of beauty in Greco-Roman civilization that we’ve lost today.
F.B: -Before being chosen by Pirelli for this 2011 edition, were you familiar with the Pirelli calendars?
K.L: -Yes, especially Avedon’s (1995), which I really liked. It was cultured but not just ass! Sexy, simple. I’m also a fan of Sarah Moon, who was the first to show breasts in ’72. She emanates great poetry.
F.B:-What does Pirelli mean to you?
K.L: -It’s a tire manufacturer that built its reputation on these calendars that you can’t buy, which gives them a sense of mystery. It was viral marketing before its time. At first, they did it for garages, for truckers! But the object quickly became an artistic reference.
F.B: -Tell me about the three-day shoot. Where was it?
K.L: -In my studio in Paris, rue de Lille. I chose friends to pose with; I only wanted people who were very comfortable with me. I made a list of bodies I could show, and I refuse to undress people who don’t agree!
And there are no minors!
F.B: -Why the black background?
K.L: -I think it enhances nudity, the contrast emphasizes bodily beauty.
F.B:-And why shoot in black and white rather than color?
K.L: -It was refreshing, a bit of black and white for a change from my illustrious predecessors, and after all I’m black and white in life!
F.B:-Is it true that the models become particularly “open-minded” during the Pirelli calendar sessions?
K.L: -My studio is antiseptic, it’s very work-at-home. There’s nothing fishy lying around. What I liked about the Greek myths is that they don’t need to get excited with fishnet stockings and frills, it’s carnal without fuss. Helmut Newton did stilettos and garter belts better than I did.
F.B: -Why Julianne Moore as Hera?
K.L: -I absolutely wanted an actress to play Zeus’ wife and the mother of the Olympian gods. Julianne is a beautiful woman, more matronly than the girls under the olive trees. She’s a dear friend. With me, she knew it was zero risk, that there would be no parallel production to sell under the table!
F.B: -Are there no secret shots for private use?
K.L: -Look Frédéric, it’s not part of mythology. Look at ancient statues, they’re never naughty, except in Pompeii, but that was in a brothel!
F.B: -You specially created objects, jewelry and accessories for the photo shoot.
K.L: -Stéphane Lubrina and George Cortina made the bracelets, weapons and shields.
Peter Philips glued gold leaf to the breasts. I didn’t want it to look like a joke or a theatrical costume. So I designed the necklaces, the golden sexes, the bracelets that become tree bark, an owl, a Plexiglas helmet…
F.B: -Would you have liked to live in antiquity?
K.L: -Who wouldn’t like immortality with a perfect physique?
Interview conducted on October 15, 2010 at Karl Lagerfeld’s home in Paris.
Cette publication est également disponible en : Français (French)
