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Kaiser Karl: The Life of Karl Lagerfeld Hardcover – February 1, 2020

by Raphaelle Bacque (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 222 ratings
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Purchase options and add-ons

  • An intimate and well-documented biography of Karl Lagerfeld, ex-creative director of Chanel and international fashion icon
  • Reveals the man behind the mask: the great couturier, the adorer of women, the unrepentant provocateur
  • A huge bestseller in France
  • Worldwide publication in English to mark the first anniversary of his death
  • A luxurious hardback, finished with quarter-bound cloth and containing a picture section

"admiring and ferocious" - France Inter

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

On the last morning of his life, Karl Lagerfeld's only companion was Sébastien, 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.

Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    264 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Acc Art Books
  4. Publication date
    February 1, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    6.27 x 0.74 x 8.93 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1788840704
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1788840705
  8. See all details
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  2. acc art books

  3. About

    ACC Art Books is one of the world’s leading publishers and distributors of books on the arts and visual culture.

    History

    Our own publications represent more than 50 years of innovation, including collaborations with some of the world’s foremost artists, fashion designers, architects and photographers. We began in 1966 by developing essential reference works on the decorative arts, many of which remain in print as the standard texts in their fields.

    What do we publish?

    Books on art, architecture, design, fashion, lifestyle, travel, pop culture, and more!

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Editorial Reviews

Review

'Mr. Lagerfeld represented the designer of the future: multitasking, collaborative, a celebrity. He gladly fed - and fed off - the dizzying cycle of consumption.' -- The New York Times

"In 2019, the fashion world lost one of its visionaries. In this bestselling intimate biography, recently translated into English, French investigative journalist Raphaelle Bacque interviews several of Karl Lagerfeld's confidants, colleagues and employers." -- Daniella Saunders, Country & Town House

'Karl Lagerfeld's personal life is examined in a new book by Raphaëlle Bacqué.' -- The Daily Mail.

"The result is a detailed, sometimes shocking, sometimes sad, sometimes hilarious look at a fashion genius." -- Cellophaneland

About the Author

Raphaëlle Bacqué is one of today's best-known contemporary journalists. Her reputation is built on the bestsellers she has authored alone or co-authored with Ariane Chemin (Les Strauss-Kahn, La femme fatale, Richie, Le dernier mort de Mitterrand...), as well as her investigations published in Le Monde.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Acc Art Books (February 1, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 264 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1788840704
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1788840705
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.27 x 0.74 x 8.93 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 222 ratings

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Raphaëlle Bacqué

Raphaëlle Bacqué

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
222 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Sabine Schropp
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2020
Verified Purchase
Beautiful coffee table book
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Sara Chaplin
5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly written & captivating story
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2020
From interviews with Lagerfeld and the players in his circle, the author has captured the man behind the fan, the monocle, the dark glasses and hair tied back with a bow. One would never imagine the depraved personal life of Lagerfeld who reinvented Chanel and revolutionized the label after Coco died.
3 people found this helpful
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Britt Le Bonzo
4.0 out of 5 stars A Concise Biography
Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2020
Verified Purchase
This book contains Lagerfeld's basic story and most of the things I was curious about. Lagerfeld always had a strong work ethic. His ability to crank out commercial designs like an automaton was astounding. Karl was envious of YSL's status as a highly respected great designer and innovator (also Galliano). Lagerfeld was essentially an asexual voyeur who fantasized about specific men. After Jacques de Bascher's death he became hard and bitter. He turned into a shameless self-promoter - grubbing after money on a massive scale. Independent fashion houses were going under. Huge corporations bought them and used them to produce crude fashion for the tasteless masses to make a global fortune.

This is an excellent example of what's wrong with the arts today. Few artists, designers and musicians are inspired to create something beautiful and unique. Most of them are addicted to technology and self-promotion and manipulating the media. It's simply a platform to become a multi-millionaire. This is why shallow trash like the Kardashian's flourish. After reading this book I have little respect for Lagerfeld's lack of character and artistic vision.
13 people found this helpful
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Chris
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Book for the fashion lover!
Reviewed in the United States on February 9, 2020
Excellent book! Enjoyed reading it and learning more about Karl!
3 people found this helpful
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Shane Dane
4.0 out of 5 stars 35 Rue de L'universite
Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2021
Verified Purchase
Although i recall it as a mere pied de terre when once there looking for a fellow american, it was Karl's past as he hit it big with Chanel at 50 and then Chloe and then feuding Fendi. Every house but YSL. Sad Yves even had his boyfriend Jako. A true narcissist, he loved hard his muse tall and noble Ines de la Fressange then let her go. That was his way, odd so many men of money saw Kaiser Karl as vital which he was until he wasn't.
One person found this helpful
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ZenBirder
2.0 out of 5 stars Nice Try but Lacking Details in Key Areas
Reviewed in the United States on July 10, 2021
Verified Purchase
This bio is OK as far as it goes, but omits much about KL's life as a designer. Details regarding his childhood and later life are occasionally interesting, but too much of the text is devoted to the snarky gossip of KL's social life. I'd rather have read details about KL's life as a designer without learning who gave who AIDS and who is a drug addict.
2 people found this helpful
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Lulu
1.0 out of 5 stars Unimpressed
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2022
Verified Purchase
For those of us who’ve read Alicia Drake’s excellent The Beautiful Fall, Bacqué’s Kaiser Karl doesn’t add much. The final chapter seems rushed, almost like an afterthought.
I honestly expected more, since Lagerfeld was such a larger-than-life character.
I loved Lagerfeld’s comprehensive biography by Marie Ottavi, but as I’m writing this review it’s still not available in English.
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Ahhburne
4.0 out of 5 stars A good read
Reviewed in the United States on March 27, 2021
Verified Purchase
I enjoyed reading about fashion through the decades from the point of view of designers. This book is well written and just juicy enough to keep you reading.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Neri
1.0 out of 5 stars Just a good summary
Reviewed in France on August 15, 2021
Verified Purchase
The book makes the claim that it will be insightful and will give us information we didn’t know before. It says now that Karl is gone, people in his life are talking… yet, as you start to read the book, it becomes clear that there is nothing new, and no insight into Karl Lagerfeld’s life.

In fact, the book is a good summary of Alicia Drake’s Beautiful Fall. I am actually surprised the author was allowed to even publish it, and I am even more surprised at the positive reviews. I guess the only positive thing is that it is well written, and it is a good summary. If you want to read a better and more insightful book, I recommend Beautiful Fall.
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Luke B.
5.0 out of 5 stars Could do with being longer
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 26, 2021
Verified Purchase
Great little book for a holiday read.
I was expecting something more detailed and lengthly but nicely written and well researched.
One person found this helpful
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c p sephton
5.0 out of 5 stars A great, long awaited biography.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 20, 2021
Verified Purchase
It’s a shame this biography only has a few photos.
One person found this helpful
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dawn
5.0 out of 5 stars Good for a fan
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
Really liked this book, arrived really quick, nicely packaged, a good insight into the legend who was karl lagerfeld
One person found this helpful
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Gary Fab
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic insight into the life of a fashion genius
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2020
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As a fashion world addict, I found this book really well written and easy to read.
One person found this helpful
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