Quoted: Reactions to the Great Lagerfeld Mystery

Karl Lagerfeld: the man knows how to make news. First a salad is named for him in Paris, then he’s shushing rumors that he’ll step down from Chanel. This morning people around the world are dealing with the fact that their emotional core, Karl Lagerfeld’s strong leadership at Chanel, might not always be their safe space. Our Twitter feeds are filling up on both accounts (the salad, the departure), and most people are showing signs of potential melancholic disposition at the mere hint that Chanel might be headed by longtime Lanvin designer Alber Elbaz.

Here’s what we’ve found:

Step One is disbelief:
@commedesgarcons Karl Lagerfeld is not going to be replaced at Chanel. THANK GOD! #Chanel #Karllagerfeld
Interestingly, this Twitter belongs not to Rei Kawakubo, but to a Norwegian postgraduate student named Hans.

Step Two is the fairly traumatic (but necessary!) realization that Karl Lagerfeld might not in fact be around forever:
@sakisaki6 Yes, but how old is Lagerfeld? RT @Racked Chanel: Lagerfeld is in it for the Long Haul, No Successor Planned

At this point you might feel something beyond yourself, something like compassion:
@jjjal lagerfeld’s getting aged & already tired to handle 3 different labels. i understand the rumors.

When that transcendental feeling fades, Step Three sees you morphing into the rebellious child at Pesach:
@haneenodeh I know this is fashion heresy, but if the rumors r true I am pro alber elbaz to replace K lagerfeld. Its about time.

And Step Four, the last step, is complete euphoria and discombobulation, a disorganized fervor for all things fashion:
@SpardhaTownend “People I’m really friendly with have faxes. Anna Wintour has one. We speak via fax.” -Karl Lagerfeld. Fax? Really?