Karl Lagerfeld and His 250,000 Books

Lagerfeld, the German design super star absolutely fascinates me. (This blog was written two days before he passed away.) Remarkably he juggles Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi and Chanel collections with ease and has even made his beloved cat, Choupette, a worldwide star.

There is no other person on the planet that has accomplished what he has. Closer to home, when he dropped 93 lbs. in 13 months everyone paid attention. I’m not getting into specifics, but it included diet sodas and very little exercise “because that runs the risk of making you hungry.” In 2004, the publication of the book, The Karl Lagerfeld Diet sold 200,000 copies in Europe and Asia – then it was released in the US. 

Lagerfeld lives like an Old-World aristocrat “the only calendar I follow is that of circumstance and desire” with homes in Paris, Biarritz, France and Monte Carlo. He also has a personal chef to make his meals. This means there’s no snacking on forbidden food in the kitchen like the rest of us.

All of the above is history. I’m more interested in today’s subject and it’s this: Lagerfeld’s astounding personal library.

HIS ZEAL TO ACQUIRE KNOWS NO LIMITS

In the magazine Town & Country of October 20, 2018 titled, “Object Lust” with a subhead, “The Modern Collector’s Search Never Ends. Inside the Unrelenting Quest for the Rare and the Beautiful” is the story behind Lagerfeld’s obsession with the printed word.

Karl Lagerfeld is very informed: “I don’t do the Internet. I like print on paper.”

Photo: Courtesy of Town & Country

“I look at every magazine. I am the most informed person in the world,” he says, smiling and sipping from a glass of Château d’Yquem.

This write-up, beautifully written by Erik Maza, goes on to say, “Lagerfeld is allergic to nostalgia, quick to move on to the next job, the next collection, the next muse. Lately, in addition to overseeing Chanel, Fendi and his own label, he has taken up a lifelong passion: interior design. He has done a Toronto condo and upcoming are a pair of sleek oceanfront lobbies at the Estates at Acqualina, a $1.5 billion residential complex in Miami.” He adds, “Fashion is one thing, but I approach interior design as if I’m making it for myself.” Full disclosure: After Columbia I attended The New York School of Interior Design for a couple of years. No degree – I just did it for myself.

“POSSESSIONS ARE BEGINNING TO SUFFOCATE ME”

That’s Lagerfeld being brutally honest. But then he tempers this by saying that books are the exception as he describes his apartment on Quai Voltaire that was a maze of prose. “You could hardly walk,” he gushes. “I was never as happy in a place.” It’s clear that he feels most at peace amid his literary Babel, floating in antique pillows abov

UPDATE ON A CREATIVE GIANT

Karl Lagerfeld died in Paris on Tuesday, February 19, 2019 at the age of 85. He turned Chanel into a global powerhouse after becoming the Creative Director in 1983. “His creative genius was breathtaking and to be his friend was an exceptional gift,” Anna Wintour, the Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, said in a statement. “I will miss him so very much.” She speaks for all of us. 

MAY WE SUGGEST…

Wednesday, March 20th was the First Day of Spring. Do you know what this means? Time to take stock of your wardrobe: look ahead to summer and lighter apparel. Take a gander at our wide selection of T-shirts, camisoles and layering tops – all in soft-to-the-touch fabric that packs perfectly for those spring and summer jaunts.

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