Talent Management was stunned last week when what appeared to begin as a compliment, from Chanel’s Karl Lagerfeld to the award-winning singer Adele, rapidly descended into nothing more than a hurtful remark.

The German born fashion designer was speaking to Metro Paris when he declared: “The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat but she has a divine face and a beautiful voice.”

What a shame that he felt the need to derogatively refer to Adele’s size in the middle of what could have been a nice compliment. No-one here at Talent Management can ever remember hearing this talented artist suggest that she was showcasing her body to fans as a size or shape to aspire to, and we’re left wondering why Lagerfeld felt motivated to raise her weight as an issue.

Adele is a poised and positive role model for those who love her music and her relaxed reaction to Lagerfeld’s comments set an example when so many may have responded aggressively. The 23-year-old recently told www.people.com: “I’ve never wanted to look like models on the cover of magazines.” She was also quoted in last year’s British Vogue as saying: “I’ve seen people where [weight] rules their lives, who want to be thinner, or have bigger boobs. I see how it wears down on them – I don’t want that in my life. I have insecurities of course, but I don’t hang out with anyone who points them out.”

Adele is about music, and more awards than we care to mention here give credence to the gift – as a singer-songwriter – that she has shared with the world to date, for which we and millions of others are very grateful. We can only assume that Lagerfeld felt unable to escape the often obsessively weight conscious focus of the industry in which he works, for long enough to just say something nice about someone – without taking this unnecessary verbal detour. It wasn’t so long ago that the designer was carrying some extra weight himself and he clearly knows what it’s like to be criticised for his size.

Having had time to consider his first insensitive comments Lagerfeld thankfully offered these apologetic words in Metro New York just days later: “I’d like to say to Adele that I am your biggest admirer. Sometimes when you take a sentence out of the article it changes the meaning of the thought.” He added: “I lost over 30 kilos over 10 years ago. I know how it feels when the press is mean to you in regards to your appearance.” He also referred to her as his “favourite singer” and a “beautiful girl”.

Adele’s 6 wins at the 2012 Grammys last night are well deserved. We hope they help the singer to forget any uncalled for negativity from those within the fashion industry and would like to offer our congratulations on the acknowledgement of her talents that they represent.