A PRESTIGE HONG KONG WORLD EXCLUSIVE
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF KARL LAGERFELD
by Stephen Short

Hate? That’s a strong word.
No. For other people, it’s fine, but not for me. I was born not to be a family person. I can be friendly with other people’s children, the grandchildren of people I’ve known for a long time. But I’m a totally freestanding spirit.

Did you feel that way from a young age?
As a child, I knew I would never have anything like family life, children. I hated other children when I was young. My mother used to tell me, men are unimportant, as you can have a child with any woman you want, so you don’t think it’s that important. I knew that it was not for me. If people say they didn’t succeed because they had to have a family, children, that’s their problem. Sacrifice is only interesting if you are tempted by something else. Ostentation is not for sacrifice, it’s another name. In this business, I depend on so many things, there is no way I could have a family life. I don’t want one. There’s a moment when I want to walk through the door and be alone. You know, somebody once said . . . that the greatest moment in the life of a man is when he notices that his son is mediocre. Isn’t that marvellous, hmm? In fact it’s true. If you have a child it’s okay. But if it’s better than you, you would be jealous, and if it’s not interesting, it would be embarrassing. My father had a sister, my mother thought she wasn’t interesting. I had sisters, some of them are dead now. I was the only child to my parents because I was funny and easy. From a young age, I got the feeling I was an only child, but I was not, in fact.

What about the pursuit of love in your life?
What do you mean by the pursuit of love?

Well, searching for it, finding it, indulging it, living it, treasuring it.
Love is a subject I don’t analyse publicly. Love is only an interesting subject when it’s beyond. When it’s down to earth it ceases to become interesting. It’s a very dangerous subject. I’ve had so many tragedies in life, it’s hard to discuss the subject.

You left Germany as a child. How do Germans feel towards you?
I’m the only German ever to succeed in French fashion. Some have done it in Milan, but never in France. So for them I am public property, you know. They call me by my first name. In northern Germany, they even call me by the nickname of Kaiser, in the street. They are very nice. The other day, Bunte [a German magazine] made a survey into the most known Germans and, for a country I left 50 years ago, I was voted number 19 out of 80 million people. I thought that was not that bad, hmm? I cannot believe it. I never go that often. But I never said bad things about Germany. The Germany I like doesn’t exist anymore. For me, Germany was out in 1933 and the rest, forget about it. The ’50s were boring. But I never say anything mean about them because they are very nice to me. I had houses in Germany but I never went to them, I sold them. I had the most divine house in Hamburg, of all the houses there I had the most beautiful, but I just had the feeling it was leaving my life behind me and I had about 17 people wanting to buy it. But I must say it was absolutely divine, absolutely stunning, the views, the park, it was marvellous. But I had no life to put in it. It was a house I sold over 40 years ago.

Do you regret selling it?
I buy houses, never go, the servants do nothing, then I sell them. I’ve bought houses in which I’ve never spent time. Who cares? Houses are sold. There is no life to put in them. I have an apartment in New York, I haven’t slept one night there. It’s divine. But I’ve never had time to finish it. It’s done in German style around 1912. There’s not much left from that time, but I love German posters from the beginning of the century, they are like pop art. New York in a way is like a German city, so these things work, but it doesn’t work in France. No, no. In New York it works well. It’s a beautiful place, but, no . . . I just have my papers and clothes there. I’m a little spoiled and a little selfish.

How many places do you own?
I have several places. Some in Paris. I just left one in Paris in which I’d spent 30 years. I have a big place in Monaco. I rent a hotel in the south of France. I rent it all year but I do very little. Just outside St Tropez. Then I have New York. I have a castle in the country in France I’m selling. I’ve sold properties to companies who want to make hotels out of them.

How’s your relationship with England?
I like the English women normally better than English men. I don’t know why. But I feel more like a stranger there, perhaps because my English is too American . . . I have the feeling that after three days in England they have seen enough of me.

I think that’s typically English, though.
Yes. And in many ways there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. [London] is a rich city, with expensive places, which means a lot of strangers go there. I don’t want to be a stranger in London. New York is easier for me.

You’ve been gracious with your time. I should let you get ready for Rome in a few hours.
I never look at my watch. Yes, I go to Rome tomorrow. The good thing about private jets is that you go whenever you’re ready. That’s the real luxury of today. In all my contracts it says, if you want me, send a private jet. Also I cannot go on airlines because people stare at me, you have to be touched by people. I hate that.■