Meryl Streep's stylist has hit back at claims she refused to wear a Chanel dress at the Oscars because they wouldn't pay her to do so.
Meryl Streep
Micaela Erlanger insists Karl Lagerfeld's comments about the 'Mamma Mia' actress are untrue and says opting for a designer who paid for her to wear a dress was against Meryl's "personal ethics"
She told Business of Fashion: "As a stylist working with a nominee for any major event, it's industry standard for designers to propose gown ideas and sketches - some custom, some not, depending on the occasion.
"In the case of Chanel's submission, which was presented with full knowledge that Ms. Streep and I - her stylist - were having conversations with various brands, we were shown sketches of a dress from their most recent couture collection. Although [it was] an exquisite gown from the existing collection, we decided to go in a different direction, with another designer.
"At no point were there any conversations regarding monetary compensation. Nor were any other brands considered based on their willingness to pay for placement. This is not how my company operates and is very much a practice in conflict with Ms. Streep's personal ethics."
Karl previously claimed Chanel was told not to continue with the dress because Meryl had "found somebody who will pay".
He said: "I made a sketch, and we started to make the dress (but then I get a phone call from her team a few days later which said): 'Don't continue the dress. We found somebody who will pay us.' After we gift her a dress that's 100,000 euros, we found later we had to pay [for her to wear it]. We give them dresses, we make the dresses, but we don't pay."
Chanel have now released a statement to insist they have a "continued and deep respect for Ms. Streep".
They said: "Chanel engaged in conversations with Ms. Streep's stylist to design a dress for her to wear to the Academy Awards, with the full understanding that she was considering options from other design houses.
"When informed by the stylist that Ms. Streep had chosen a dress by another designer there was no mention of the reason. Chanel wishes to express our continued and deep respect for Ms. Streep."
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