Update, 11:15 a.m.: Meryl Streep denies Karl Lagerfeld’s claim that she backed out of wearing a custom Chanel gown to the Oscars after the brand refused to pay her.
The designer told WWD that the actress originally ordered a couture gown to wear to the Academy Awards on Sunday. Lagerfeld had made a sketch and started making the dress, but someone from Streep’s team called to cancel the order. “Don’t continue the dress. We found somebody who will pay us,” her spokesperson said, according to the designer’s recollection.
However, a representative for Streep told The Hollywood Reporter that “the statement is absolutely false, and that it is against her personal ethics to be paid to wear a gown on the red carpet.”
Chanel has not yet responded to the comments.
Original post, 10:00 a.m.: Meryl Streep backed out of wearing a Chanel couture gown to the Oscars this weekend after finding a brand that would pay her to wear its clothes, says Karl Lagerfeld.
The Oscar-winning actress had ordered a grey dress from Chanel’s most recent couture collection, requesting that the piece be adjusted to have a higher neckline. Lagerfeld drew a sketch of the amended look and the brand’s seamstresses set to work.
“I made a sketch and we started to make the dress,” Lagerfeld told WWD.
However, a phone call came from Streep’s team days later: “‘Don’t continue the dress. We found somebody who will pay us,'” Lagerfeld recalled the spokesperson saying.
Chanel refuses to pay anyone to wear its designs, even high-profile celebrities, although there is still a huge expense in dressing the famous.
After we gift her a dress that’s worth $105,000, we found [out] later we had to pay [for her to wear it]. We give them dresses, we make the dresses, but we don’t pay,” Lagerfeld said. “A genius actress, but cheapness also, no?”
However, Lagerfeld has no hard feelings – Streep is still welcome to have the dress.
“She could keep the dress because of the size,” Lagerfeld said. “It’s couture. It’s perfect for her.”
By Harper’s Bazaar UK