Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld

by William Middleton

The definitive biography of fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld, written by journalist and author William Middleton, who knew the designer in Paris. In February 2019, the world lost one of its most enduring cultural icons, 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; and creating constant fashion excitement at Chloé, Fendi, and his eponymous brand; but also for his vivid personal style, including his signature uniform of dark sunglasses and a powdered white ponytail. And then there was his utter devotion to his cat, Choupette. Journalist and author William Middleton spent years working in Paris for Women’s Wear Daily , W , and Harper’s Bazaar . During his time in Paris, he interviewed and socialized with Lagerfeld, coming to see a side of the designer that he kept private from the world. In this deliciously entertaining book, Middleton takes us inside the most exclusive rooms in the fashion industry, behind the catwalk, and into a world of brilliantly talented artists, stylish socialites, and famous stars—some of the most elusive and unforgettable figures of fashion’s inner circle for the past four decades.

Genres: Fashion, Biography, Nonfiction, History, Art, Memoir, Autobiography

480 pages, Hardcover

First published February 28, 2023

Reviews

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

"You know that observation from Paul Klee?" [Karl] asked. "I have been everything, loved everything, tasted everything, and now I am an icy star."

"He was someone very nice, but he didn't want anyone to know it." - Alain Wertheimer

When I first saw that yet another (!!!) Karl Lagerfeld biography was being published after several other great ones had been published since his death, I wondered what this book could even offer that was different from the others. There's Karl by Marie Ottavi, Karl Lagerfeld: A Life in Fashion by Alfons Kaiser, Kaiser Karl: The Life of Karl Lagerfeld by Raphaëlle Bacqué, Karl: No Regrets by Patrick Hourcade (which remains my personal favourite), not to mention the books written by Sébastien Joundeau and Baptiste Giabiconi. There's just been A LOT written about Karl since his death.

However, I was pleasantly surprised to start reading this book and discover that there was a ton of new information and insights here. William Middleton did an excellent job researching the book. I think what sets this Karl biography apart from the other ones (which, I think, are all strong -- which is pretty rare), is that Middleton focuses on Karl Lagerfeld as a person. He really tried to get behind the "puppet," to reveal the "puppet-master" (as Karl would say). I think Middleton was able to reveal a pretty complex, but a very kind, generous, and sensitive person. The anecdotes from colleagues and friends all emphasize that, you could tell how much they adored him. I also think Middleton also does a good job at emphasizing HOW Karl rose to the top of his game while he was at Chloé and how important Chloé was in the landscape of 1970s fashion. I was also glad that Middleton touched on Karl's failures at Chanel, too, and the difficulty he really faced after Jacques de Bascher, his partner, died in 1989. It's so easy to get lost in the weeds of the 1970s and focus on the scandal of de Bascher, but Middleton zoomed in on how Karl mourned his death for the rest of life.

What excited me the most was reading about what Middleton found in Karl's old scrapbooks that were auctioned off at Sotheby's in 2022. I wondered what was in those things when I saw them in the auction catalogue. Reading about the 8 page letter (!!!) 21 year-old Karl sent to his mother in 1954 just after winning the Woolmark Prize was incredible. So much of his personality was evident in that letter (lol, slagging off Yves Saint Laurent from the start by calling *his* winning design "ok, but banal."). To read about how the Woolmark Prize meant so much to young Karl was amazing: "Basically, I am happier than I even dared to hope." Learning about the fashion illustration and drawing courses he took in Paris with Andrée Norero Petitjean was also enlightening and it was so touching to learn that he never forgot her support!

The chapter about his illness and death was also incredibly touching, too. Just thinking about his final conversations with Virginie Viard and Silvia Fendi made me so, so, so sad. Oh god, and don't even get me started thinking about the show in Hamburg, when he took everyone to the restaurant he enjoyed as a child: "He had returned back to where he began and he was there with all of the people that he loved," [Anne] Berest continued. "Because the people he had worked with were his family. I found that really moving."

There were a few things that I think Middleton maybe could have gone a bit further in depth with, but then, I almost wonder if he realized that other biographies and books had already sufficiently dealt with those topics? For example, he only briefly touches on the falling out with Yves Saint Laurent, buuuut includes the photo from the 1950s Karl *literally erased* Yves from!! Even a more substantial interview with Victoire Doutreleau would have been interesting, but maybe she's sick of discussing Karl and Yves, too. I didn't need a re-tread of The Beautiful Fall, but the discussion of that just kind of... disappeared. Also, I thought it was curious how someone like Anna Piaggi who spent so much time with Karl he published an entire book filled with sketches of her (!!), and the subsequent disintegration of their friendship, was only briefly mentioned. That was odd. Still, he had a huge life and I can imagine it was enormously difficult to figure out what to include and what to cut. I don't think we needed (or gleaned anything from) the story about Karl meeting the founder of Instagram, instead of more stories about his more substantial relationships with people. That's my only quibble with the book.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first famous person I ever saw on my first trip to Paris was Karl Lagerfeld. So I feel some kind of connection, even though he was just standing in front of the building I was walking past. He's one of those people that I would always choose in that game where you pick people you'd like to have dinner with. And everything in this book confirmed exactly what I thought about him. He was a force of nature, even in childhood. The book has a lot of details that I have never read elsewhere. It was well researched and the author seems to have access to the inner circle which made it even more fascinating.

[Lynda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Karl's life is basically a motion picture film. We have no doubt about it. I debated between the score 3 and 4 for a while - I have to say this is one of the better fashion archive autobiography out there about Karl.

I love the fact Middleton capture the side of Karl outside of fashion design. His personal interest in architecutre, art, and how he spend over a million dollar each year just on flowers. The overall writing is well researched and engaging. I just wish he would talk more about the obvious controversy of Karl's personality? Is Paradise always filled with sunshine and buffer fly?

I would also recommend to listen through audio book.

[Geri McB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, well-written and well-researched, but Middleton could have used a better editor to help trim the fat from this overly-long book. Not every single detail of Lagerfeld's life needs repeating. I would have given this 2.5 stars, due to the lack of editing, but sadly half stars are not available.

[Camille Fitts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slow read, as most biographies are, but it helped me understand more about the world of fashion, and the life of Karl Lagerfield, so I’d say the time was worth it.

[Matthew Sciarrino · Rating 4 out of 5]

I certainly learned a lot about the fashion industry and KL as well as the many companies he designed for.

[DianaDev · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this one. Covered a small bit of his early life but was focused mainly on his entire career and his relationship with all of his colleagues, suppliers and friends which gave a really thorough and honest look into his world.

[Annie Kruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed delving into Karl’s world. Would have liked a bit more detail on some of his extraordinary friendships eg with with Brad Kroenig.
Also there wasn’t much detail on his own brand and how he saw it. I’ve always been surprised by how ‘cheap’ it felt in comparison to his haute couture work.
Overall very enjoyable.

[LAPL Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is not necessary to be interested in the world of haute couture to find this biography of Karl Largerfeld compelling and engrossing. The creative genius of Karl Lagerfeld is the magnetic star that will captivate you. His childhood interests were drawing and painting until a fateful December, 1949 when, "The house of Christian Dior traveled from Paris to the still-destroyed city of Hamburg to stage a series of fashion shows," and the teenage Karl declared, "I am leaving to become a fashion designer in Paris." So began his career as a fashion designer, but that was not the only passionate interest for this highly charged, enigmatic artist. There would always be fashion design, but his other active pursuits and work included photography, graphic design, fine book publishing (with Gerhard Steidl), book collecting, film making, interior design, and the extravagant fashion shows that required the work of skilled artists and craftspeople (carpenters, landscapists, flower designers, painters, sculptors, engineers).

Back in 2005, a mini-series, Signé Chanel, was on cable television. Snippets of it can be found on YouTube, and are well worth casting about. In part the series focused on the inner workings of putting together an haute couture collection when working for and with Karl Lagerfeld. Director Loïc Prigent illuminated the work that took place in the Chanel atelier and why bespoke clothing (not necessarily those from collections) can be so costly, and must be a joy to wear. The filming of the behind-the-scenes work of the seamstresses is truly an homage to the artistry of what they do. The spotlight on Karl Lagerfeld was evidence of his innate eye for perfection. That eye for perfection and an intense personality, are what he had in common with Chanel. According to James Brady of WWD (Women’s Wear Daily), “The best time to be a Chanel-watcher was when she was actually making a collection. Just when a suit or dress looked perfect to you, Chanel ripped off a sleeve …” In this series Karl never ripped out anything, but he carefully examined sections of a finished piece of clothing, as worn by a model, and rapidly stated what needed to be corrected by the atelier seamstresses. His unerring eye and drive for perfection are documented and validated in this biography.

In this meticulously researched and elegantly written biography William Middleton takes us into the life of Karl Lagerfeld, personal and professional. He was a polymath and autodidact who was an omnivorous reader and easily acquired several languages. His energy and focus were legendary and late in life he was creating haute couture collections for several major fashion houses all at the same time. Karl was a gay man, but claimed he was at heart a prude. The great love of his life was Jacques de Bascher with whom he lived from 1971 until his death in 1989. He was a wit, a punster (in several languages and could interweave them together) and he was in charge, of himself and his empire of companies. Quite often he said that the creation of fashion is not a democratic endeavor--someone is in charge creating and making decisions. A shrewd businessman, he knew what was going on in the world of finance and who was trying to gain control over the companies he had built and controlled. And, he was a discerning and outspoken critic from his earliest days, unflinching and unsparing in his precise criticism about everything and everyone, especially those who were fashion competitors. For Karl, whose creative energy was inseparable from life itself, retirement was not a choice. “I spend my time thinking that I could be doing better. That is what keeps me moving forward–perpetual, personal dissatisfaction. And I consider boredom a crime.” And part of that ethos was a very realistic view of life itself, “I don’t care about posterity. Just don’t care. It won’t do anything for me. It’s today that counts: paradise now!” Based on that clear, precise view, at the end of his life he would never succumb to anything maudlin. There was no formal funeral or burial. His ashes were scattered at various locations.

Reviewed by Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & Fiction

[Kristall86 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Klappentext:

„Sowohl der Name als auch das Konterfei sind Legende: KL, Karl, Lagerfeld, weiß gepuderter Pferdeschwanz, schwarze Sonnenbrille. Immer im Anzug, immer von einer Entourage umgeben: Models, Assistenten, Stylistinnen, Musen, Reporterinnen, Künstler. Berühmt und berüchtigt für seinen schnellen Verstand, seine Schlagfertigkeit, seinen schier endlosen Ideenreichtum hatte Lagerfeld als Kreativchef die Modemarken CHANEL, Fendi und Chloé ins neue Jahrtausend geholt. Und war ganz nebenbei omnipräsent in der Welt der Kunst, der Fotografie, der Bücher, in den Glamour-Magazinen und stets im Rampenlicht – all das in einem Alter, in dem sich andere längst zur Ruhe setzen. »Ich habe lebenslänglich«, soll er einmal gesagt haben. Als Lagerfeld im Februar 2019 starb, war er bereits eine eigene Marke, aber mit zwei streng getrennten Leben: einem öffentlichen und einem privaten. Der amerikanische Journalist und Autor William Middleton arbeitete jahrelang in Paris für Women's Wear Daily, W, und Harper's Bazaar. Während seiner Zeit in Frankreich interviewte er Lagerfeld häufig und verbrachte viel Zeit mit ihm. Middleton lernte so neben den öffentlichen auch die privaten Seiten Lagerfelds kennen, die dieser sonst sorgsam verbarg. In seiner so unterhaltsamen wie literarischen Biographie macht er uns nun mit dem Lagerfeld bekannt, den er kennenlernen durfte, nimmt uns mit an die exklusivsten Orte der Modeindustrie, präsentiert uns den inneren Kreis der Modebranche der letzten vier Jahrzehnte. Karl Lagerfeld kommen wir dabei so nah, als wären wir mit ihm im selben Raum.“



Gleich vorweg: allein haptisch und optisch hätte Karl Lagerfeld große Freude an diesem Buch gehabt. Der Buch-Sammler war stets auch auf diese beiden Punkte bedacht. Dieses Werk stellt sich wie folgt vor: in Leinen gebunden, fest genähte Buchseiten (gesamt 608 an der Zahl), Texte und Fotografien gehen eine Art Symbiose miteinander ein und dann noch das Format. Der steidl-Verlag wählte dafür die Größe 16.7 x 4.7 x 24.3 cm und inszeniert dieses Buch damit perfekt. Zum Inhalt: wie schon im Klappentext sehr gut geschrieben, zeigt uns hier Autor William Middelton seine Sicht auf den Designer auf. Er hat ihn über viele Jahre lang begleitet und durfte tief in seine Arbeiten blicken. Dennoch muss man klar sagen, und ich habe sehr viele Werke und Dokumentationen über den Designer gelesen und gesehen, ist es immer fraglich in wie weit sich Karl Lagerfeld seinem gegenüber wirklich gezeigt hat. Unabhängig davon liest sich dieses Werk äußerst spannend und lebendig. Middeltons Schreibstil ist kurzweilig und faszinierend. Aus vielen Anekdoten macht er keinen Hehl und er verheimlicht auch nichts ohne dabei Lagerfeld bloß zu stellen. Wir dürfen durch ihn in Karl Lagerfelds Mode-Welt eintauchen und diese bildlich vor Augen zum Leben erwecken lassen. Ich empfand die Mischung aus Fakten aber auch Unterhaltung äußerst gelungen und ja, lesenswert. In vielen Abschnitten hört man seinen unvergleichlichen Ton ein wenig mit und schmunzelt mal, kräuselt mal die Stirn, darf aber auch hier und da herzhaft lachen und dann auch wieder staunen. Fazit: Definitiv ein lesenswertes Buch! 5 Sterne hierfür!

[Sylvia Hertel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Das Leben einer Ikone

Zum Inhalt:
Karl Lagerfeld war eine Ikone in der Modewelt. Er war durch sein Äußeres sehr bekannt. Immer im Anzug, dunkler Sonnenbrille und Pferdeschwanz. Immer begleitet durch eine Entourage bestehend aus Assistenten,, Models und Stylistinnen
Karl Lagerfeld war für Modelabels wie CHANEL, Fendi und Chloé tätig.
Sein berufliches Leben war öffentlich. Sein privates Leben kannte kaum jemand.
William Middleton durfte Karl Lagerfeld öfter interviewen und lernte dadurch auch ein bisschen den privaten Menschen Karl Lagerfeld kennen.

„Paradise Now – Das außergewöhnliche Leben des Karl Lagerfeld“ ist eine Biografie über das Leben der großen Modeikone von William Middleton.
Schon die Gestaltung ist eines Karl Lagerfeld würdig. Da Buch ist in Leinen gebunden und die Texte werden mit zahlreichen Fotografien untermalt.

Neben seinem beruflichen Leben bekommen die Leser*innen auch ein Bild von dem privaten Karl Lagerfeld. Er war unheimlich belesen, besaß eine große Buchsammlung. Überhaupt war Karl Lagerfeld sehr interessiert an Kunst und war ein großer Sammler.

Auch wenn Karl Lagerfeld in Frankreich gelebt und die Kultur angenommen hat, hatte er doch nie seine deutschen Wurzeln vergessen.

William Middleton hat sehr gute Recherchearbeit geleistet und mit unzähligen Menschen gesprochen. Dadurch hat er den Menschen Karl Lagerfeld mit all seinen Facetten kennengelernt.

William Middleton lässt die Leser*innen teilhaben am Leben von Karl Lagerfeld.
Mit der Biografie „Paradise Now“ setzt er der Modeikone ein Denkmal.

[Malinda Krantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story of Karl’s life is so delicious that it reads like a fantasy novel but the story is so fantastical, no one could make it up. It was lovely to learn about his mother’s scrapbooks, his letters to her and others, and all of the beautiful houses he built and designed. The sheer volume and variety of his simultaneous collections is an inspiration.

Usually I rip through a good story. This was a great story and I savored every word. Paradise now is a beautifully written, well researched biography that gives a full picture of an incredibly talented human and a walk through the history of great fashion labels and the evolution of couture and ready to wear. I loved that it did not spare the thorny parts of Karl Lagerfeld's personality while giving a full picture of such a hardworking, creative, and talented human.

I loved the quotes and stories from those who worked with and around him. It was wonderful to read how he carried on while ill and dying as he still had so much to give and seemed to want so much to keep living and creating. The story of trying to keep his death so private, saying so few farewells was so very poignant.

[Gabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

this book isn’t just for a fashion lover, but anyone interested in creative industries and what it’s like to be at the top of the game.

i work in and have studied fashion, so was pleasantly surprised at how much new information this book offered. middleton, a friend of karl’s, does not focus heavily on his work at chanel, but dives into his personal life, which i found immensely interesting - you’re not getting a rehashing of how karl redesigned the flap bag. middleton is also obviously very involved in the fashion industry himself, and i liked how he went into detail on certain art pieces, architecture and garments.

that said, i do wish middleton had a better editor to trim the fat from the book. while his friendship with karl allowed him to write a book that was unique, i also think this closeness may led him to avoid touching on details of karl’s life, more so karl’s own words, that have been deemed controversial.

thank you ebury, penguin and netgalley for a copy of this book!

[ksiazkowe rozmowy · Rating 5 out of 5]

karl who?

"bylem wszystkim, kochalem wszystko, wszystkiego sprobowalem, a teraz jestem lodowata gwiazda"

pierwszy raz uslyszalam o nim kilka miesiecy przed jego smiercia i gdyby nie karl, nie chodzilabym do szkoly, do ktorej chodze. ponad 5 lat temu wplynal na moje zycie poraz pierwszy, ale to po tej ksiazce jego wplyw jest bezpowrotny<3 wspaniale bylo poznac wersje lagerfelda, ktora przez tyle lat skrywala sie za ciemnymi okularami, garniturami i skorzanymi rekawiczkami. po tej lekturze widze, ze jego w pewien sposob wykreowana persona miala przyslonic zlamane serce.
i love you karl!🥹

"serce jest najbardziej zlamane, gdy w gre wchodzi smierc. poza tym nie"

karl forever.

[R.J. Gilmour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Middleton's book traces the life & career of the German-born designer, Karl Lagerfeld. Studying how he invented himself in the image of Harry Kessler, another Hamburg-born German, Middleton shows how Lagerfeld was able to create an identity for himself fuelled by his endless curiosity. At the same time Middleton shows how Lagerfeld helped create & revive a diverse group of fashion houses by always living in the moment. The only issue is that the book needed more illustrations to help the reader understand the look of the collections & homes discussed.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fell somewhere between 3.5-4 stars for me. What worked in my favor that is two-thirds of the way through the book, I saw the Lagerfeld retrospective at the Met. This book made that viewing much richer. KL is clearly a creative force and genius. It is amazing that he regularly designed for 3-4 different fashion houses at once, and each line was completely distinct. As a book, this was more of a plodding read.

[Martina · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐️ book. My fourth with Karl as a main character (can you imagine him not being one?😉) I really enjoyed the book, learned many new things from his life. I especially liked the way the book is built- telling the story around the interviews. Sure, I wished some aspects were discussed in more depth but considering how broad the material must have been for the author it wouldn’t be possible to do the same with all of them. All in all very nice book I would recommend to anyone.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

So. Much. Name-dropping. My god.

You would think that when discussing a man as multi-faceted and fascinating as Karl Lagerfeld, there would be more to talk about than the famous people with whom he surrounded himself. The book is non-stop: “Karl threw a party and in attendance were [insert litany of fashion names here].” So boring. This seems like lazy, sloppy research gleaned from fashion tabloid coverage and not real insight from anyone who actually knew him. Disappointing.

[Sarah Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazingly well researched an indepth biography, the input of those closest to Karl through out his life gives the reader an insight in to the real Karl Lagerfield. He achieved so much more than most of us would be aware of.
A life truly lived.
I highly recommend Paradise Now.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me to read Paradise Now.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite the read. Lagerfeld was fascinating— his talents varied and his interests many. His level of stamina, unbelievable. His level of confidence and self-awareness were surprising. Lagerfeld’s commitment to his work, friends and interests was surprising. I felt like I learned a lot about art, history , interior design and fashion while reading this book. Thoroughly enjoyed it,

[Sigo Paolini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Obivously a very "authorized" bio of Lagerfeld told by a friend. WM does not reveal too many "insights" but does document well. There are some interesting tie-ins that made the story intersting like Karl and Andy Warhol and the Factory. That made a lot of Chanel's Lagerfeld fashions more interesting as does his Warhol white hair wig, gloves and black attire.

[Gerri Zink · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed bits and pieces of this book. I liked reading it in the areas it seemed like a biography. I didn't care much to hear the entire history of fashion. I liked reading about his childhood and interesting mother, his one true love, the controversies he was in, and his beloved kitty. It was a very interesting man and most definitely a genius.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book about the carrier of the pillar of the House of Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld. Fashion, eccentric parties, and beautiful women to name only a few highlights of the book. A very fascinating and inspirational read. Highly recommended.

[Annarella · Rating 4 out of 5]

An iconic fashion designer that played an important role in the fashion of the last decades. This is a well researched and interesting biography.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

[Marko Malherbe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Karl, so I was excited to read this book. It took a lot longer than I thought it would since I kept googling the fashion they were talking about. Fascinating life. I would recommend this to anyone interested in fashion. It’s very ‘dense. Almost like a text book for Fashion 1.0.

[Gail O'Connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this would havge been a great book but the detailed descriptions of EVERYTHING made me
too bored to continue. I'm sure it's an amazing story!

[Stuart Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

For fashionistas only.

[Pina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

[Missy · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[Persephone Zephyr]

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