The World According to Karl: The Wit and Wisdom of Karl Lagerfeld

Lagerfeld, "fashion's favorite enigma," has been at the forefront of global fashion for more than a half century, and in that time has never ceased to fascinate the public. While simultaneously running Chanel, Fendi, and his own eponymous fashion house, he has consistently reinvented trends on the catwalk and in the street. His iconic black-and-white uniform propagates the carefully constructed air of mystery that surrounds the star, yet despite being famously private, he is one of the most recognizable men in the world. Lagerfeld the man remains elusive: Vogue described him as the "master of reinvention" and he describes himself as "a caricature of himself." He has been the source of controversy many times over, yet his popularity remains unflagged. Only "The Kaiser" himself can get away with owning 300 iPods or having two personal maids and a Twitter account for his cat because, as he acknowledges, "I can do whatever I want." In this attractive volume, Karl Lagerfeld imparts his personal impressions on everything. His aphorisms and quotable declarations are in turns humorous, acerbic, insightful, or misleadingly definitive. Defining the world as he sees it--through the lens of fashion, Chanel, love, life, black sunglasses, luxury, books, and Karl himself--this book pays homage to the brilliance of Lagerfeld's mind, his turn of phrase, and his visionary verdicts on fashion, humanity, art, and the world in general. SAMPLE QUOTES: Tom Ford: "Are you happy?" " Karl Lagerfeld: "Darling, I'm not ambitious.""Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you bought some sweatpants." "If you were to ask me what I wish I had invented in fashion, it would be the white shirt. To me, a shirt is the basis for everything. Everything else comes afterwards." "What I've done, Coco Chanel would never have done. She would have hated it." "A sense of humour and a little lack of respect: that's what you need to make a legend survive." "My job isn't to make Chanel survive; it is to keep it alive." "I remember a designer who said that intelligent women don't wear her dresses. Obviously, she went bankrupt." "Fashion is neither moral or immoral, but it is for rebuilding the morale." "I am a kind of fashion nymphomaniac who never gets an orgasm." "The iPod is genius. I have 300." "I want to see everything, I want to know everything. Behind my dark glasses, my eyes are wide open." "Fashion is a game which must be played seriously." and "Fashion is fleeting, dangerous, and unfair." and "Fashion is an attitude more than a piece of clothing."

Publisher: Flammarion-Pere Castor

Published: United States, 17 September 2013

Format: Hardcover, 172 pages

Age Range: 0+

Other Information: Illustrated

Dimensions: 24.4 x 16.3 x 2.4 centimeters (0.73 kg)

Writer: Sandrine Gulbenkian, Jean-Christophe Napias, Patrick Mauries

About the AuthorPatrick Mauries, editor and author, has written more than thirty books including Jewelry by Chanel (2012). He has known Karl Lagerfeld since the beginning of his literary career. Jean-Christophe Napias is an author, translator, and editor of books on dandyism, dance music, camp culture, and Paris. Sandrine Gulbenkian is director of the French publisher Parigramme. Charles Ameline is a graphic designer and co-founder of Teto, a producer of textiles printed with original designs from contemporary illustrators.

Reviews"If you are a Karl fan you need to run and not walk to get your hands on this book. If you are not a fan but have great respect for his accomplishments, you need to read this book." New York Journal of Books

"Covering his thoughts on everything from life and fashion to children, the book takes its audience into the mind of one of fashion's most eccentric minds." The Daily Beast "If anyone in the style realm comes close to being as quirkily quotable, it's designer Karl Lagerfeld, whose assorted barbs and quips are compiled in The World According to Karl..." *-Los Angeles Times "This amusing collection of Karl-isms...it's impossible to choose just one, which is why this is a must-read." -*Teen Vogue