Kaiser Karl: The Life of Karl Lagerfeld

By Raphaëlle Bacqué

"admiring and ferocious" -- France Inter

"This first biography, fed by many first-rate witnesses... we laugh, we shudder, we admire." -- Elle

"Thus emerges the story of Karl Lagerfeld: his father's past in the heart of wartime Germany, his rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent (enflamed by his only love, Jacques de Bascher) and the networks he forged with the biggest luxury manufacturers in the world as he compiled his vast fortune." -- Lovely Books

"Anyone who wants to gain a deeper insight into the life of the real Karl Lagerfeld will find the biography "Kaiser Karl" to be the right reading material."
-- Harper's Bazaar Germany

On the last morning of his life, Karl Lagerfeld's only companion was S bastien, his bodyguard and right-hand man. The king of fashion insisted on being cremated, along with his universally recognizable 'gear' - the dark glasses and high starched collar that served as a bastion for his secrets. It is only now that witnesses have begun to talk. Thus emerges the story of Karl Lagerfeld: his father's past in the heart of wartime Germany, his rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent (enflamed by his only love, Jacques de Bascher) and the networks he forged with the biggest luxury manufacturers in the world as he compiled his vast fortune. Truly an unparalleled icon in the history of fashion, Lagerfeld's legacy lives on today.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1788840704
• ISBN13: 9781788840705
• Release Date: January 2020
• Publisher: Acc Art Books
• Length: 264 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.3" x 8.7"

Customer Reviews

Kaiser Karl, A Legend

Kaiser Karl was an interesting look into the life of Karl Lagerfeld and gave me a much better understanding of the man behind the brand. The book spends a lot of time on his early years and the relationships and experiences that shaped his personality, which makes sense because so much of who he became was rooted there. What struck me most was how private and, in many ways, lonely his life seemed. Whether by choice or circumstance, he appeared to keep people at a distance, and there was something a little sad about that. He clearly valued his independence, but it was hard not to wonder what his life might have looked like had he let more people in. I enjoyed learning more about Karl and found his story fascinating, but it wasn’t a book I connected with deeply enough to reread. If you’re a fan of Karl Lagerfeld, fashion history, or Chanel, it’s worth picking up for the insight into his life and legacy. For the average reader, though, I think it’s more of a niche biography than a must-read.