"Oh yes, I love to do shoes. I'm not a fetishist but I love to do shoes"

Karl Lagerfeld’s statement about his fondness for creating shoes reveals both an acknowledgment of the unique allure shoes hold in fashion and a nuanced distinction between passion and obsession. His words playfully address the frequent association between designers who make shoes and the stereotype of footwear fetishism. By asserting that he is “not a fetishist,” Lagerfeld distances himself from an obsessive or purely sensual fascination with shoes, redirecting the focus to artistic enjoyment and creative practice.

For Lagerfeld, shoes represent more than just functional objects or attractive accessories. They function as an expressive canvas for innovation, craftsmanship, and style. His declaration “I love to do shoes” indicates a deep enthusiasm for the process of designing, constructing, and imagining footwear that speaks to identity, elegance, and transformation. There’s something inherently dramatic and sculptural about shoes, which perhaps appeals to Lagerfeld’s sense of theatricality and precision. Shoes can radically shift the posture, attitude, and presence of the wearer, serving as both a foundation and a finishing touch to any ensemble.

His statement also subtly references the cultural and psychological symbolism surrounding shoes. Throughout history and across societies, shoes have represented status, aspiration, and secret desire. Lagerfeld appreciates these complex associations, but his pleasure comes primarily from the act of making, not from fetishistic admiration. The distinction suggests a professional’s appreciation: he channels creativity into a medium rife with meaning while maintaining aesthetic distance.

By humorously clarifying his position, Lagerfeld invites the audience to consider the fine line between artistic enthusiasm and fetishization in fashion. His candidness highlights how a designer can adore an object’s possibilities without succumbing to the clichés that surround it. Ultimately, Lagerfeld’s words reflect an enduring respect for shoes as both objects of beauty and fields for boundless invention, articulated with characteristic wit and self-awareness.