Karl Lagerfeld Won't 'Guzzle' Models

Karl Lagerfeld tries not to be a "model guzzler".

The CHANEL designer - who is also a photographer - likes to take time choosing who models in his projects, and tries to avoid taking on too many he may not use.

He said: "I do a lot of portraits. I really take time to choose my models. I don't think one should ever be a model guzzler.

"One must give the model spirit. I also do landscapes and still life - I prefer this expression to its rather odd French equivalent, nature morde (dead nature)."

The 78-year-old sartorialist - who is renowned for always wearing monochrome clothes, gloves and dark sunglasses - also admits he sees photography as an essential part of his life he cannot live without.

He said: "Photography is part of my life. I can't imagine life without its vision. I look at fashion and the world through the eye of a camera. This gives my basic work a critical detachment that helps me more than I could ever have imagined."