The biography of the famous German designer also tells the history of the fashion industry and almost a whole century. Three years after his death, his legend continues to grow
When Karl Lagerfeld (1933- 2019) left his hometown of Hamburg to move to Paris at the age of 20, his parents only asked him one thing: “Don’t you dare become a dancer or a priest!”.
However, his parents could not foresee that their son’s fate would lie between the two professions. For more than half a century, Lagerfeld was the closest thing to a religious figure in the fashion world, a legend that was both commanding and undeniably entertaining.
In 2007, he lashed out (with a lawsuit) at journalist Alicia Drake for telling the story of his eternal rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent (and for revealing his real age) in the riveting essay “The Beautiful Fall.” The book also showed that the “Caesar of Fashion” himself suspected that his biography would one day make first-rate narrative material. Lagerfeld was certainly not short on intuition.
In early October, Jared Leto announced that he was filming a biopic about the German designer. The actor noted that he will play the role of Lagerfeld, having received the designer’s… “blessing” to do so – before he died in 2019 – and the actor will produce the film, with the help of several of Lagerfeld’s closest associates.
The book “Karl” by Marie Ottavi is a monumental representation of the designer’s life and work, through testimonies, quotes and her own interviews with him.
Lagerfeld’s obsession with rings came about when his mother watched him smoke and told him that the way he held his cigarette drew attention to his hands, which weren’t very pretty. “You can imagine the effect that has on a 14-year-old boy,” he said in 1992. “I haven’t had a cigarette since.”
Psychological issues aside, Lagerfeld’s career enables us to understand fashion in the second half of the 20th century, from Haute Couture to memes, in the same way that Coco Chanel’s biography illustrates the first half of the century.
Perhaps that’s why the Metropolitan Museum of Art will dedicate its 2023 fashion show to Lagerfeld. The designer was an obsessive, very hands-on worker, who understood how to ensure that fashion battles were fought not only in memorable creations (such as those of Chanel, Dior or rival Saint Laurent), but also through the invocation of a certain atmosphere which, for ordinary people, was tantamount to fashion itself.
After his death, biographies and books of aphorisms and anecdotes have proliferated. Throughout his life, Karl was aware of the fascination he exerted on the world. He agreed to star in various documentaries and even published a book of his own weight loss recipes.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
