April 14, 2025

Karl Lagerfeld: The Original Prompt Designer?

Decades before AI reshaped creativity, Karl Lagerfeld was already thinking like a visionary from the future. In a 2008 interview with Amir Kassaei at the ADC Gipfel der Kreativität in Berlin, he shared a philosophy that feels tailor-made for today's AI-driven designers. His approach - develop bold ideas, master the technical knowledge, and leave the execution to others - was light years ahead of its time.

The discussion delved into the shifting tides of the creative industries. Kassaei posed a question that still resonates today: Is traditional craft losing its value? Here's how the exchange went:

Please forward to 23:39 for the following section

Amir Kassaei: You mentioned that times are changing. In our industry, we feel that the craft of being a copywriter or an art director is becoming less important. Other areas such as quick market success, immediate impact or conceptual thinking are taking precedence. Is this the case in your industry as well? Is the craft of tailoring, or the knowledge built up over hundreds of years, becoming less important?

Karl Lagerfeld: You know, tailoring isn't done like it was in the 18th century. The techniques have changed. It's good to know about it, but I myself don't cut clothes, I don't sew clothes or anything like that. I have a concept, an idea, and I can answer all the technical questions in 30 seconds. But I don't do it myself. I try things on, but I don't touch the stuff; that's not my job.

Amir Kassaei: But am I still a good designer if I don't master the craft?

Karl Lagerfeld: You have to master the craft in the sense that you can answer any technical question. You don't have to sit there and do it yourself, but you have to have the knowledge - in any profession - to be able to answer any question.

Lagerfeld's answer is more than a defence of his methods - it is a blueprint for creative leadership in the era of AI. He was famous for sketching his collections with precision and handing them to his team without ever touching a needle or thread. His role was that of the visionary: delivering the concept, the idea, and guiding the process with deep technical understanding. "I can answer all the technical questions - in 30 seconds," he said confidently. The execution? That was for others.

This approach feels eerily like that of a modern AI prompt designer. Imagine an artist tasked with creating a digital piece of art. Instead of painting, they create a precise prompt - say, "a cyberpunk city at sunset with neon lights and flying cars" - and let the AI bring it to life. The designer needs to know the AI's capabilities, strengths and limitations to achieve the desired result. Just like Lagerfeld, who led his team with knowledge and vision without getting his hands dirty. There's a reason he had his hands insured and wore gloves all the time, since they were made for sketching.

Lagerfeld's philosophy asks us to rethink what craft really means. Is it the physical act, or the ability to conceive a vision and back it up with technical know-how? "You have to master the craft in the sense that you can answer any technical question," he insisted. These words in todays context could come straight from a guide to AI-driven creativity. A prompt designer doesn't need to code, but they do need to understand how the AI works to guide it effectively - just as Lagerfeld understood the nuances of tailoring without sewing a stitch.

When Karl Lagerfeld uttered these words in 2008, generative AI was a distant dream. Yet his approach - conceptual thinking, technical mastery and delegated execution - feels like a prophecy of today's creative landscape. As artists, designers and writers increasingly collaborate with AI, Lagerfeld's example shows that the core of creativity lies in the idea, not the manual act. He wasn't just a fashion legend, he was a pioneer whose mindset inspires us in todays age of AI - a true 'prompt designer' long before the term even existed.