The Chanel couturier has much to be thankful for as the successful head designer and creative direct of Chanel, Fendi and his own fashion label. Last month he received an Outstanding Achievement gong at the 2015 British Fashion Awards.
Yet even he is not safe from his own critical outlook as he recently confessed, “I’m always in a bad mood with myself.”
“I always think I could do better, could make more of an effort. I always think I’m lazy… I like to be informed, I like to know everything but I don’t want to have conversations about it.”
However, he is not unhappy with his life, even if he is with himself.
He told Grazia UK, “No! No! I am perfectly happy… I have the opportunity to do a job that I love, in the best conditions, with lifelong contracts at Fendi and Chanel. Nobody has that.”
It is only getting better, with Karl debuting his latest collection in Chanel Métiers d’Art show at the Cinecittà film complex in Rome on December 1. The pre-fall fashion show of around one hundred looks was saucy and surreal, inspired by Elizabeth Taylor’s luxurious jewels and intricate headpieces in the1960’s film Boom!
Something else that should put a smile on his face was the premiering of his new Chanel Biopic “Once and Forever” at the show. He took on the role of Screenwriter and Director for this 11-minute short film starring Kristen Stewart as Mademoiselle Coco Chanel.
“Karl is supremely natural and thoughtful, which rubs off on an actor, always… that confidence. His interest in cinema is clear and working with him in that way was inspiring,” Kristen Stewart told Vogue UK.
Lagerfeld is renowned for his brutal and blunt mindset but one thing can melt his heart is his beloved white cat Choupette. She is as picky as he is; she travels by private jet, has pet accessories designed by Bernard Arnault and her own two maids waiting at her beck and call.
“I don’t know. Before (her) maybe I was nasty and mean… I hate to be in my house without her. I like her presence,” he told Grazia U.K.
“She is like a kept woman. She has a strong personality. She has lunch and dinner with me on the table, with her own food. She doesn’t want to eat on the floor and sleeps under a pillow and she even knows how to use an iPad”.
The ‘Lagerfeld’ look is stark white hair pulled back into a ponytail and a crisp white high collared shirt to match. Back in 2000, he lost a shocking 50 kgs and his slim silhouette is always framed by tight trousers and black boots. Few people know that his eyes are a baby blue; he is never seen without a pair of black glasses covering them. The outfit is completed by a pair of fingerless leather gloves, adding to his mysterious air.
“I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that. It is like a mask,” he said.
