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Amanda Harlech is one of those women whose job is often listed as "Muse." More practically, she is a fashion consultant, sometime model, and great friend/inspiration of none other than Karl Lagerfeld. Slate recently profiled Harlech, who is eager to talk on just about any topic except for one - the "M" word. Here are a few of our favorite gems from the piece:
1. "I think fashion, mishandled, can be quite toxic. It becomes about image, and the cult of celebrity."
2. "I do quite a lot of art, with a small ‘a’."
3. "This is the last of the golden periods for Europe and America ... ttwisted and flawed Europe, with its shortcuts and alleyways. It’s so precious."
4. "When I’m asked, ‘What do you do, Amanda?’ I say I am an arch assimilator. I’m quite good at understanding what somebody means. Fashion is the process of articulating an idea, and a proposal of what to wear. Who is that woman in Karl’s head? Or that spirit? Or that idea? That’s what fascinates me."
5. "Fashion is perceived to be very hard-nosed and superficial, when it is full of incredibly sensitive and visual people. But it is not always their voices that get heard."
· Lunch with Amanda Harlech [Slate]