The real Karl Lagerfeld - a view from the fashion front line

The real Karl Lagerfeld - a view from the fashion front line - Telegraph.co.uk

Posted: 01 Mar 2019 12:00 AM PST

For the Chanel Couture show at Paris's Grand Palais in January, Karl Lagerfeld had a Mediterranean garden specially created. But as the show ended, he failed to appear from behind the scenes as he usually would. Virginie Viard, his closest collaborator, emerged instead, holding hands with the 'bride' who'd just paced the catwalk in a crystal-encrusted swimsuit and trailing veil.

A short time later, a tannoy announcement stopped us all in our tracks as we were pouring out of the exhibition space. Monsieur Lagerfeld, it said, was not at this presentation: 'He is tired.' He would be at the second show at midday, which was the more starry of the two (we journalists had seen the earlier one so we...