Black Label [EN]: Chapter 158

Black Label 157

158. Signs of Victory and Reconciliation

“He must be insane!”

Morgan Welter, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Magazine, screamed, unable to contain his anger, and began stomping on the Vogue magazine he had thrown to the floor.

Perhaps it was because he was so sure that Lee wouldn’t even dare to make a peep, let alone retaliate? The blow from Lee’s counterattack felt all the more significant.

With bloodshot eyes and hot air puffing from his nostrils, Morgan Welter glared at the magazine scattered on the floor and pointed towards the exit of his office.

“What are you standing there for? Get the car ready immediately!”

His personal secretary, standing at attention, replied, “Yes, sir,” and hurried out of the office.

Left alone, Morgan Welter began to scan the words on the main cover of Vogue Magazine.

[Designer Lee unveils the interior of Wall Flower’s offline store, scheduled to open next month. What is the purpose of the ‘J Company’ handbags placed throughout?]

[Special Column: Lee’s Unstoppable Counterattack? Handbags from famous premium brands instantly relegated to the trash.]

Lee had perfectly copied several Chanel handbags released this season and placed them in his Wall Flower offline store instead of trash cans.

It was a bold response that was more than enough to capture the public’s attention.

Morgan Welter bit his lower lip once and swept his drooping bangs upward. It was clear that the Chanel Group, as well as Karl Lagerfeld, were preparing for an effective response.

This was not only an insult to Chanel but also a performance that mocked Karl and his team, who were a part of fashion history.

He was certain that everyone was determined to make Lee pay the price for his misguided choices.

Morgan Welter took a long breath, straightened his clothes, and began to stride towards the car waiting on the first floor of the building.

His destination was the Chanel Group.

* * *

“Are you saying you’re going to declare surrender?!”

Morgan Welter asked, his voice filled with agitation. The chairman of the Chanel Group, Berthimer, who was sitting across from him, replied in a calm voice.

“It would be good to calm down first. It doesn’t look very good, you know.”

“Chairman, just a moment. This is a critical issue that will directly impact Chanel’s stock price and brand value. Burying it like this is the same as admitting defeat!”

“I know. But the loss from losing our talented creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, would be far greater than the damage from this paper war.”

“What are you saying…?”

Morgan Welter asked, his eyes wide. Berthimer, the head of the Chanel Group, raised his head slightly and continued in a gentle tone.

“Karl doesn’t want any more arguments. Wasn’t the last interview forced by the group in the first place? He wants to end this mud fight here.”

Morgan Welter, sensing that the situation was taking an ominous turn, sighed once and then burst out again in an agitated voice.

“Even though his designs were completely humiliated in front of the public? Has he forgotten his pride and self-esteem as a designer after being revered for so long!”

Just as Berthimer was about to warn him, the door to the chairman’s office opened, and a rather handsome old man entered.

Judging by his snow-white hair and the wrinkles etched on his face, he appeared to be at least seventy years old.

He was wearing a tight-fitting suit and sunglasses with Chanel’s signature logo emblazoned on the temples.

Although it was impossible to read his expression perfectly because of the sunglasses, it was safe to assume that he was very angry.

The old man, who froze the air in the chairman’s office as soon as he appeared, took a seat on the sofa and opened his mouth in a chilling tone.

“I overheard you saying something interesting. What did you just say?”

Karl Lagerfeld.

He was one of the living legends of the fashion world, always among the top five most influential fashion designers, and a symbolic figure of the brand who had breathed life back into Chanel, which had been gradually declining after the death of its founder, Coco Chanel, and had been serving as its director for decades.

Morgan Welter couldn’t find an answer and began to stammer, “Well, that’s…”.

He never expected that Karl himself would hear the words he had blurted out in a fit of anger.

Karl Lagerfeld smiled faintly and added in a low voice.

“It’s best not to say behind someone’s back what you can’t say in front of them. A saying that has become so famous that it feels cliché has a reason for being famous, but there are too many fools who don’t know this.”

Morgan Welter lowered his head and closed his mouth like someone who had swallowed a bee.

Karl Lagerfeld, looking at him with amusement, leaned close to his face and continued in an infinitely sharp tone.

“Listen, Morgan. Do you think a mere editor-in-chief has the right to talk about an artist’s pride or self-esteem?”

“…….”

“Let me make it clear, I am not a missile used in fashion feuds. I am Karl Lagerfeld, who cannot be replaced by anyone. I am also an artist with the power to replace an incompetent editor-in-chief with a few words.”

Karl Lagerfeld, speaking in an overbearing tone, turned to Chairman Berthimer and added.

“Berthimer. I’m a designer, not an actor. I told you that the last interview was the last time I would speak according to a script written by someone else, you remember that, right?”

“I remember.”

“You also know that the competition between designers takes place not in magazines, but on the runway during collections, right?”

“Of course.”

“Indeed, you are easy to talk to.”

Karl Lagerfeld smiled and immediately got up, saying, “Then I’ll be on my way. I don’t even have time to think about new designs, but I’ve wasted too much time.”

That was the end of it. Karl Lagerfeld left the chairman’s office without looking back.

Chairman Berthimer sighed deeply, glanced at Morgan Welter, who was trembling like a dog drenched in rain, and added an explanation in an indifferent tone.

“As you can see, Karl is not someone you can control. There are only two terrible futures that our Chanel Group doesn’t even want to imagine: ‘Termination of the contract with Karl’ or ‘Karl’s death.'”

After the death of the founder, Coco Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld breathed new life into Chanel, which had been in a steep decline to the point where it was no exaggeration to say it was dying.

Since then, for the past 37 years, Karl has made Chanel one of the world’s top brands by successfully completing every show without a single failure.

For the Chanel Group, he is an individual who is no different from a ‘goose that lays golden eggs’.

Morgan Welter glanced at the closed door and cautiously asked in a low voice.

“Didn’t Lee’s extreme attacks cause Chanel’s stock price and brand value to decline? Since we have suffered huge losses, there may be legal ways to respond…?”

“No. There is no legal way to respond.”

“Yes? Why on earth…?”

“Lee didn’t perfectly copy Chanel’s products. He conspicuously created and registered a similar trademark and obtained a patent. It was a great and clean attack that did not violate the law.”

Berthimer smiled bitterly after speaking and looked down at the city of Paris beyond the window, adding again.

“Yes. It was a truly great attack that I couldn’t help but admit defeat to…”

* * *

“Lee, congratulations. I was very impressed with your wonderful and excellent counterpunch.”

Jaeraldine Saglio said, and Jaeseung smiled faintly and replied, “Thank you,” and added again.

“I think it was thanks to Jaeraldine and Paris Vogue’s help that it was a more effective attack.”

“I’m grateful that you said that. Anyway, you’re going back to Korea now, right?”

“Yes. That’s right. I probably won’t be back in Paris until next year’s Paris Fashion Week season.”

“I’m sure there will be good results.”

“I believe so too.”

Jaeseung smiled brightly and held up the beer glass in his hand, and Jaeraldine lightly touched her glass to his.

For a moment, a cheerful sound of ‘clink-!’ echoed. Then, Jaeraldine tilted her head slightly and asked back.

“By the way, have you thought about what theme of design you will use to knock on the door of the Paris fashion world?”

“Yes.”

“Could you tell me a little bit?”

Jaeseung shrugged his shoulders once and replied in a gentle tone.

“First of all, I’m thinking of making premium clothing for ordinary people.”

“Premium clothing for ordinary people? Do you mean you’re going to make clothes that aren’t very individualistic?”

“No. The ‘ordinary’ I mentioned was about body shape. I realized a lot while watching Ashlyn prepare for the season. The industry is forcing eating disorders on models.”

Jaeseung finished speaking, stared at Jaeraldine, and continued.

“I’m going to make clothes like that. Clothes that can look beautiful and shine even if ordinary people wear them, not models with only bones left. Then Ashlyn won’t have to skip meals because of season preparation.”

“That’s a beautiful reason. The motive seems great, but will it be successful? In fact, it seems a bit out of touch with the industry’s sentiment…”

Just as Jaeraldine was about to continue speaking, Jaeseung’s cell phone, which was placed on the bar table, began to vibrate.

Jaeraldine gestured lightly as if it was okay to take the call, and Jaeseung said, “I’m sorry,” and immediately answered the incoming call.

“This is Lee. Who is this?”

-Karl.

“Who?”

-Karl Lagerfeld.

It was none other than a call from Karl Lagerfeld.

Jaeseung had a blank look on his face and didn’t say anything, and Jaeraldine began to look at Jaeseung with a puzzled expression.

Before long, Karl Lagerfeld on the other end of the phone got to the point.

-I’d like to meet you in person.