His lover died of AIDS, and he wanted to marry a cat. 7 interesting facts about the fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld

"Emperor of the fashion industry", "man-orchestra", "great interpreter", "living embodiment of passion"... The media has called the German couturier Karl Lagerfeld, who turned the fashion world upside down, inspired by people, literature, architecture, pop culture and... his cat Choupette. He devoted 65 years to his work: he created tirelessly day and night because he had something to say with his collections.

On Tuesday, February 19, 2019, the whole world was shocked by the news of the designer's sudden death. At 85, Karl's life was cut short by pancreatic cancer. In the material of OBOZ.UA, we decided to recall interesting facts that will open up new facets of his personality for you.

1. He did not plan to be a designer

Born in Hamburg to a wealthy family, Karl told his parents at just 4 years old that he would choose his own clothes for his looks. At the age of 14, he moved to Paris, where he studied at the school of the Haute Couture Syndicate. Then, probably to express his inexhaustible creativity, he worked as an illustrator for some time. However, at the age of 21, his life changed dramatically. He showed his coat design at the International Woolmark Awards and won first place. This marked the beginning of his great future.

2. He brought interesting notes to the styles of fashion brands

Karl has collaborated with such fashion giants as Fendi, Chloé, Jean Patou, H&M, Hogan and Macy's, and was the chief designer and creative director of the Chanel fashion house for a long time. His ideas often modernized somewhat outdated brand concepts.

For example, for the Chloé fashion house, the couturier released a number of collections characterized by a love of historical quotations, spontaneity and liveliness. And for Chanel, he reinterpreted classic models: he added a new cut, unusual details, boldness and sexuality. At the same time, the man created his own brand, Karl Lagerfeld, where he invested his love of black and an excess of accessories. By the way, after Karl's death, G-III Apparel Group became the owner of his brand, having previously bought out shares of DKNY, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Sonia Rykiel and Vilebrequin.

3. He created the most spectacular shows in fashion history

Lagerfeld has never spared no expense in creating a vivid, memorable presentation of his collections. In 2018, he decorated the catwalk with a 35-meter mechanical rocket ship. And in 2014, he shocked the guests of the fashion show with an imitation of a supermarket, where more than 500 products with the Chanel logo were displayed (carpets, candy, chainsaws, ketchup, etc.). The 2010 show is also worth mentioning: the maestro imported a huge pile of snow and ice from Sweden to create an iceberg weighing 265 tons.

As you can imagine, Karl's cinematic vision turned the French catwalk into living art.

4. He loved provocative shows

Karl has repeatedly organized shows on the catwalk that have been involved in high-profile scandals. In 1993, for example, he invited strippers and porn actress Moana Pozzi to showcase the Fendi collection. Seeing this, the editor-in-chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour, despite her usual restraint, left the show before it was over.

Let's recall another incident. In 1994, at the Chanel fashion show in Paris, fashion model Claudia Schiffer walked the runway in a dress with lines from the Koran on the top. The design, of course, was created by Lagerfeld. This angered Muslims: the media called the corset "satanic breasts" and called for a boycott of Chanel. So the fashion house had to burn the scandalous outfit and apologize for the misunderstanding.

5. Karl's signature style is a result of complexes

Sunglasses, fingerless gloves, a black suit, a white shirt, and long blond hair are the main features of Lagerfeld's style. And not all of them were "purely for the sake of beauty".

For some time, the man was complex about his weight. So, to wear his favorite suits by designer Edie Slimane, he lost more than 40 kilograms. Karl wore gloves because of a childhood injury: his mother used to say that he had "terrible hands." And what about his hair? The designer didn't like his naturally fluffy and curly locks, so he combed them back.

Glasses are also not just an accessory. For 51 years, the man has been wearing them at fashion events (indoors and out; day and night). Why? To protect his eyes... When he was young, Karl was vacationing in a club with his girlfriend. He was wearing glasses with lenses for the nearsighted. Then the beautiful girl's boyfriend came up and hit the designer in the face with a glass. "That's when I realized that my eyes are the most valuable thing I have. That's why I don' t leave the house without glasses," Lagerfeld admitted in an interview.

6. In my entire life I was able to love only once

Lagerfeld's only true love was a French dandy, a representative of the jet set and Yves Saint Laurent's lover, Jacques de Bascher. The couple was together from 1971 until 1989, when 38-year-old Jacques' life was cut short by AIDS. Since then, Karl lived alone in his luxurious estate. He had neither affairs nor serious relationships. He promised his partner on his deathbed to be faithful, and he kept his word!

7. The cat became his heir apparent

In 2011, Karl Lagerfeld bought a Burmese cat from French model Baptiste Giabiconi and named it Choupette. This animal became not just a pet of the designer, but also a commercial symbol (its image was used to decorate keychains, cases, bags, etc.). Karl constantly took it for traveling in private jets, gave it food exclusively in porcelain dishes, and even hired personal maids for it. "I never thought I would fall so much in love with a cat. It's a pity that there are no marriages between animals and humans nowadays," the designer told Vanity Fair without irony.

Karl made sure that Choupette would not deny herself anything after his death. He bequeathed her $200 million. However, the cat still hasn't received it, as lawyers are working on Carl's network of assets and debts. Now the designer's former housekeeper Françoise Cacot is taking care of the fluffy beauty. She also runs the cat's Instagram page, which has more than 250 thousand followers.

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