Marc Jacobs, Karl Lagerfeld & Pierre Berge Talk Substance Abuse

Women's Wear Daily talked to various members of the fashion community about the pressures associated with designing jobs, after John Galliano's dismissal, Christophe Decarnin's rumored breakdown and the death of Alexander McQueen last year.

Marc Jacobs, who has been in rehab several times, explained:

"Blaming is such a complete waste. I mean, it's so pointless. To say, you know, my mother was absent and therefore I ran amok, it's ridiculous. It's a self-destructive nature, it's a mental, physical and a kind of spiritual malady. If you subscribe to any of the teaching of any of those programs, whether it's Overeaters Anonymous, Smokers Anonymous, people who are happy and healthy and spiritually well don't do things to hurt themselves."

Karl Lagerfeld told the newspaper:

"I see designing, running a company, like a high-level athletic activity. I don't want to hear anything about the fragility or any of those things. If an athlete is too fragile to run, he cannot run. And this is exactly the same."

And Pierre Berge, partner of the late Yves Saint Laurent, remarked:

"I have a lot more sympathy for people who have to take the train to work every day. What a load of nonsense! No, no, no. Designers are artisans who are extremely privileged to have a poetic profession. They are not artists. We have to stop saying that they are."

Read the rest at WWD, subscription required.