Lagerfeld Meets Sarkozy

[farou7a]

KARL LAGERFELD received the Legion of Honour award at the Elysée presidential palace on Thursday followed by a garden party hosted by the French President himself. The custom-made award was presented in the company of Chanel owners Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, Chanel ceo Maureen Chiquet, president of the label's fashion activities Bruno Pavlovsky, Chanel creative director of make-up Peter Phillips and Chanel muse Amanda Harlech.

"I am much better at making small talk than at giving speeches," Lagerfeld said. "If it wasn't for 99 per cent of the people in this room, it would all amount to nothing. So in fact, this is for me but it is also for all of you."

President Sarkozy offered high praise for the designer commenting on his insatiable work ethic, seeming impressed by the speedy fashion cycle.

"In a world where there is an election every six months, I feel for you," said Sarkozy as reported by WWD. "Horrible, horrible, horrible. Frankly, I really enjoy your company because next to you, I feel calm, quiet and a bit of a drudge."

Over the past year a host of fashion greats have been awarded the honour including Louis Vuitton creative director Marc Jacobs, as well as mother and daughter Sonia and Nathalie Rykiel.

vogue.com

 

[fantastical]

how cool, it seems about time though right? he should have gotten this honor ages ago!

 

[VogueParisLover]

^ My thoughts exactly.

 

[farou7a]

Good things come to those who wait, I guess..

 

[sethii]

^ Good things come to those whose friend/former employees get married to the president

 

[NakedIfIWantTo]

^

 

[Squizree]

So Marc Jacobs got this award before Karl Lagerfeld did? ....this isn't a very serious award is it?

 

[NakedIfIWantTo]

^Well I guess Karl's indifferent to awards. He just decided to have some fun

 

[KKnardi]

So Marc Jacobs got this award before Karl Lagerfeld did? ....this isn't a very serious award is it?

I don't know the importance of this award, but it's surely beautiful on your CV. huh?

 

[Squizree]

^ When you're the head designer of Chanel, I don't think you need a CV lol

 

[BerlinRocks]

So Marc Jacobs got this award before Karl Lagerfeld did? ....this isn't a very serious award is it?

Well that's what people say ...

Here is more about it :

The National Order of the Legion of Honour is the highest French decoration. It is a civil and military award conferred for distinguished merit or outstanding acts rendered to the nation.

“Honneur et Patrie” (Honour and Homeland) is the Order’s motto.

The Order is headed by a Grand Master who is the President of the Republic. The Grand Chancellor, with the assistance of the Council of the Order, is responsible for its administration. Created in 1802, it has passed through more than two hundred years of French history.

The Code of the Legion of Honour, passed on 28 November 1962, regulates the organisation and administration of the Order.
The Order is composed of 3 classes and 2 dignities:

Knight (Chevalier)
Officer (Officier)
Commander (Commandeur)
Dignities:
Grand Office (Grand Officier)
Grand-Cross (Grand'Croix)

Today there are about 95,000 French members of the Legion of Honour and several thousand non-French citizens have received it as well.
Cities, groups, civilian and military schools have also been decorated for outstanding acts.
However, when the new Code was passed in 1962, granting national orders became strictly limited to a physical being.

The Legion of Honour constitutes a National Order endowed with a moral code.

The President of the Republic, the Grand Master of the Order, has the final word on all questions concerning the Order. He presides the Council of the Order when judged necessary.

Under the authority of the Grand Master and according to his instructions, the Grand Chancellor directs the work of the Council of the Order and that of the administrative departments. He answers directly to the President of the Republic who can call on him to be heard by the Council of Ministers when the interests of the Order are to be evoked.

The Council of the Order, assembled under the presidency of the Grand Chancellor, deliberates topics related to the statues of the Order, new nominations and promotions from one class to the next as well as disciplinary issues.

www.legiondhonneur.fr

Victoire de Castellane got it, too ... Christian Lacroix, John Galliano and Suzy Menkes, got it too ...
And probably even more ...