Highlights from AnOther's Words & Fashion evening at the Design Museum this week
Caroline Murray is the governor and director of the British Academy of Graphology. The Academy was established in 1985 and its function is to promote a greater understanding of the science of graphology – the analysis of the psychological structure of the human subject through his or her handwriting. In 2008, Murray was invited by AnOther to stand as resident graphologist where she would unravel the hidden meaning behind the handwriting styles of fashion notables. This week, for #WordWeek, Murray analysed the handwriting of Karl Lagerfeld, Ann Demuelemeester and Hedi Slimane in front of a live audience.
What we can learn from Karl Lagerfeld's handwriting...
"The writer fears no obstacles. The handwriting is very large, progressive, spontaneous and dynamic. A prevalence of large curves, whips and lassos suggests an effervescent, prolific and productive imagination, as well as originality of conceptions and ideas. This person will succeed despite any difficulties. The handwriting has no stable baseline which suggests he may lack attention to detail and reflection. Lagerfeld’s creative imagination is such that he is impelled to fulfil his passions and succeeds with great élan… He is a man of the moment and would not want to be ground down by mundane matters. Excitable, impulsive, impatient, he has a creative flair which embraces those around him. The extensive movements, arabesques, soaring letters, propulsive movement… Jupiter – ruler of the Universe – in the planets, indicates this person is influential and authoritative. He charges ahead like a galloping horse."
"Lagerfeld’s creative imagination is such that he is impelled to fulfil his passions and succeeds with great élan"
What we can learn from Ann Demeulemeester's handwriting...
"The writer has an imposing, radiant personality and is imbued with lots of energy and vitality. She has original ideas, is creative and extremely imaginative, as can be seen by large lower loops and warm strokes of the pen.She resists the urge to get carried away with her many ideas. Matters are undertaken with discipline and tenacity. Evidence of this is all present and correct in a regular baseline and controlled movement. Large beginning
letters and a well organised and typographic layout indicates she devotes herself wholeheartedly to her projects, perhaps as a result of her high ideals, a sense of pride and need for perfection. Her broad velvety strokes proves she is warm-hearted and will empathise with others. Demeulemeester is independent and will keep her distance when she feels necessary (there is big spacing between words to prove it). To summarise, Demeulemeester is a sensitive, courteous woman who has highly original conceptions. She carries her matters through to fulfilment with integrity and self-discipline.”
What we can learn from Hedi Slimane's handwriting...
The writer has instinctive convictions and intense reactions. He likes new things and has a taste for change which is seen from his precipitated, rapid and right-slanting script. It is also spontaneous, rapid and has lapses in continuity and irregularities which suggests he is creative and intuitive. He has a great spirit of enterprise and is a vital and dynamic personality. Threads and lymphatic in Hippocrates show a dreamy and artistic side too. Slimane is impatient, impulsive, does not really care what others think of him – a free spirit – though he can stake himself to the ground when absolutely necessary. Slimane would not enjoy method or routine and his quick and eclectic mind would abhor detail and he would leave this to others. This supposition springs from the fact that the designer’s baseline (very simplified, wavy) is irregular in many categories and, with no Earth in the planets is also effervescent. His handwriting which is horizontal rather than vertical and dynamic and rapid suggests Slimane likes immediate results, is sociable and confident with people, guards his independence and has no fear of obstacles.
Text by Laura Bradley
