Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld

A lively account of fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, written by journalist and author William Middleton, who knew the designer in Paris. In February 2019, the fashion world lost one of its most enduring figures, Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director for the storied House of Chanel for thirty-five years. Larger than life, Lagerfeld was legendary not only for reinventing Chanel but also for his idiosyncratic personal style, including his signature uniform of dark sunglasses and powdered white ponytail. And then there was his utter devotion to his cat, Choupette. William Middleton spent years working in Paris, where he interviewed Lagerfeld dozens of times, and came to see a side the elusive designer kept private from the world. In this deliciously entertaining book, Middleton takes us inside the most exclusive rooms in the fashion world, into the gilded salons of Paris, and back to the childhood and early work of the designer, a true creative genius with a passion for art, photography, design, history and architecture, a man who shaped culture during a career that lasted sixty-five years. Through interviews with friends and co-workers and with access to the archives at the houses where he worked his magic—Chanel, Fendi, Chloe and Karl Lagerfeld—Middleton has fashioned a book full of drama, insight and appreciation.