Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld unleashed a slew of backhanded compliments directed at the biggest names in music and politics. The white-haired designer took over as guest editor of Metro World News in Paris today and insulted everyone from Adele to Michelle Obama.

Here are five of his most outrageous comments:

On Adele and Lana Del Rey:

I prefer Adele and Florence Welch. But as a modern singer she is not bad.The thing at the moment is Adele. She is a little too fat, but she has a beautiful face and a divine voice. Lana del Rey is not bad at all. She looks very much like a modern-time singer. In her photos she is beautiful. Is she a construct with all her implants? She's not alone with implants.

On M.I.A:

Nowadays people give the middle finger quite quickly -- it's not the best behavior. Everybody does that, what's new about that? It's just become a bad habit. People in magazines are 50% bimbo and 50% pregnant women.

On the Obamas and re-election:

Yes he does (deserve to be re-elected), especially because of Mrs. Obama. I'm a big fan of Mrs. Obama – and her face, I think, is magical. He would not be there without her. Mrs. Obama is not a fashion statement, but she has other things to do. My favorite thing about Mrs. Obama was when she was asked if her skirt was not too tight and she answered, "Why, you don't like my big black ass?"* I want Obama to win because there is nothing better anyway, and especially because of her.

NOTE: Kristine Schake, Michelle Obama's director of communications, denied Lagerfeld's account, saying, "Mrs. Obama never made that statement."

On political correctness:

Be politically correct, but don't become a bore for that. People should be sensitive in these matters, but not make so much noise. Be politically correct, but do we have to know your opinion?

On Russian women:

If I was a woman in Russia I would be a lesbian, as the men are very ugly. There are a few handsome ones, like Naomi Campbell's boyfriend, but there you see the most beautiful women and the most horrible men.