In 2018, Karl Lagerfeld engaged in a series of long interviews with journalist Raphaëlle Bacqué, for a piece she was preparing for "Le Monde". It is these very interviews that are serving as a backdrop for the biography about the fashion icon, titled "Kaiser Karl", newly published via Albin Michel.
Released just a few short months after Karl Lagerfeld's death, the book succeeds in bringing to life some of the great figures of the fashion legends past. Most notably: Antonio Lopez, Juan Ramos, Corey Tippin, Yves Saint Laurent, a close friend to the Kaiser, and Jacques de Bascher, his former lover. Those who know little about the man are in for a treat. Readers will discover the career path of a young German stylist who ascended to the top of the fashion world, thanks to an incredible work ethic, eloquent communication skills, and a seemingly inherent know-how.
The first biographical account of Karl Lagerfeld's life
Those who already know his story will be reintroduced to Karl Lagerfeld through an array of new details, comical anecdotes, and tributes from those who worked alongside him. Raphaëlle Bacqué begins by introducing readers to Lagerfeld's childhood: the seaside town of Bad Bramstedt, just a few kilometers from Hamburg, the area in Bissenmoor where the designer spent a large part of his childhood, indeed a childhood that he tried to forget about once docking in Paris. The author tells the story of his secretive beginnings at Chloé, and subsequently at Fendi, where he made quite a few suggestions: the first fashion film for Fendi, directed by Jacques de Bascher, appointing himself as manager for all the brand's communication outlets, and the idea of working for various fashion houses at once. His time spent at Chanel was perhaps the most important, where the German designer was tasked with reviving the French haute couture house, while still maintaining its spirit, in other words: "impart some modernity into a classic".
A picture of 1970s carefree Paris
Kaiser Karl succeeds in painting a vivid picture of 1970s Paris, when the art world was exploding around Andy Warhol, when supermodels like Jerry Hall, Grace Jones, and Jessica Lange shared a Paris apartment, and when Karl Lagerfeld held mythical Parisian soirées, where he would sit on the sidelines and admire his guests as they partied the nights away. The biographical account is an illuminated portrait of a fixture in the world of fashion.
Kaiser Karl by Raphaëlle Bacqué, Albin Michel, 256 pages, 19,90 €
Translated by Zoe Hofmann