A new biography on Karl Lagerfeld has revealed that the late designer's parents were both members of the Nazi Party.
The 383-page book written by Frankfurter Allgemeine journalist Alfons Kaiser has already caused a sensation in Germany.
Kaiser, who edits Frankfurter Allgemeine’s society and style section, was interested in delving behind Lagerfeld’s carefully constructed public persona, and also in dispelling some popular German myths about fashion.
During his 13 months of research beginning in March 2019, Kaiser conducted more than 100 interviews with classmates, friends, colleagues, business partners, neighbors and journalists.
Pierpaolo Righi, chief executive officer of the Karl Lagerfeld brand, says despite the brouhaha, Kaiser’s book will stand as a definitive account of Lagerfeld’s life. “I really think it's probably one of the most rounded books, if not the most rounded book, I've read about Karl so far,” he says.
“The book is a really good reflection of Karl's life and his persona and his work, and it's really inspiring to read and gives people a lot of different context, different perspectives. It reveals things that they have not heard, not in a sensational way, but in a way of really to get to know Karl better, and I think that's a good thing,” he says.
Righi does not believe the revelations will have an impact on the Lagerfeld brand, noting that the designer was no stranger to sparking debate. “He was controversial, and people could agree with him, disagree with him, and that can have a reflection on the brand,” he notes.
But in this case, the events happened when Lagerfeld was too young to have a say. “Who could be angry with little Karl, who happened to be born into this situation?” he argues.
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Report: @jdiderich
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