Karl Lagerfeld's most outrageous comments

Shorts? Humiliating! Floral designs? Only for overweight moms. Karl Lagerfeld is not known for mincing his words.

What the fashion designer thinks often shoots out of his mouth without mercy, and that's why many find him amusing. Small men are malicious and vindictive, and German model Heidi Klum knows no one in Paris: these are just some relatively harmless examples of his blasphemies.

Read more: World-class designer Karl Lagerfeld at 85 (probably)

Mean but funny

Lagerfeld probably inherited his biting nature from his mother. Hardly an interview goes by where he doesn't bring her up. Reportedly, she was just as biting as her son. His education was strict and her criticism was hard.

According to Mama Lagerfeld, his black hair looked like an old chest of drawers, his hats did not suit him and his piano playing was not good enough. "Try drawing instead, that makes less noise," she reportedly told him. She was mean, but funny, according to the fashion czar.

Lagerfeld is not only tough on others but also on himself. He describes himself as still being a "stupid smug Hamburg boy". That's probably why he doesn't mind his caustic comments.

Some of Lagerfeld's most provocative sayings are listed here in our High Five ranking.