William Middleton

Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's iconic Creative Director for thirty-five years, was a cultural luminary like no other. Larger than life, Lagerfeld was legendary not only for reinventing Chanel but also for his idiosyncratic personal style and captivating life, which featured a cast of the world's most famous, fabulous and fascinating people. Not least his cat, Choupette, who herself became a fashion icon. Journalist and author William Middleton spent years working in Paris for Women's Wear Daily, W, and Harper's Bazaar. During his time there, he interviewed and socialized with Lagerfeld, coming to 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 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.

2019. aasta veebruaris lahkus meie hulgast üks maailma tuntumaid kultuuriikoone Karl Lagerfeld, kes oli kolmkümmend viis aastat legendaarse Chaneli moemaja loominguline juht. Moegigant Lagerfeld polnud kuulus mitte ainult tänu sellele, et ta uuendas Chaneli kaubamärki ning tekitas pidevat kõmu ja elevust Chloe, Fendi ja omanimelise brändi kollektsioonidega, vaid ta lõi laineid ka oma isikliku eksimatult äratuntava stiiliga, mille signatuuriks olid tumedad päikeseprillid ja valge puuderdatud hobusesaba. Ja ärme unusta tema andunud kiindumust oma kallisse kassi Choupette'i! Ajakirjanik ja kirjanik William Middleton elas aastaid Pariisis, kus ta töötas ajakirjade Women's Wear Daily, W ja Harper's Bazaar juures. Selle aja jooksul tegi ta Lagerfeldiga hulga intervjuusid, aga nad kohtusid korduvalt ka üritustel ja pidudel, mistõttu avanes tal võimalus tundma õppida moeguru seda poolt, mis oli tavaliselt avalikkuse eest varjatud. Selles erutavalt hõrgus raamatus viib Middleton lugeja moetööstuse kõige salapärasematesse tagatubadesse ja kollektsioonide sünni kulisside taha, geniaalsete kunstnike, stiilsete seltskonnategelaste ja kuulsate staaride maailma, aga ta näitab ka Lagerfeldi isiklikku ja haavatavamat poolt, mida tundsid vaid tema lähimad sõbrad ja kaaslased.

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.

'A deep knowledge of and feeling for his subject' Sunday TimesKarl Lagerfeld, Chanel's iconic Creative Director for thirty-five years, was a cultural luminary like no other. Larger than life, Lagerfeld was legendary not only for reinventing Chanel but also for his idiosyncratic personal style and captivating life, which featured a cast of the world's most famous, fabulous and fascinating people. Not least his cat, Choupette, who herself became a fashion icon. Journalist and author William Middleton spent years working in Paris for Women's Wear Daily, W, and Harper's Bazaar. During his time there, he interviewed and socialized with Lagerfeld, coming to 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 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.

The first and definitive biography of the celebrated collectors Dominique and John de Menil, who became one of the greatest cultural forces of the twentieth century through groundbreaking exhibits of art, artistic scholarship, the creation of innovative galleries and museums, and work with civil rights. Dominique and John de Menil created an oasis of culture in their Philip Johnson-designed house with everyone from Marlene Dietrich and Ren Magritte to Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns. In Houston, they built the Menil Collection, the Rothko Chapel, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel, the Cy Twombly Gallery, and underwrote the Contemporary Arts Museum. Now, with unprecedented access to family archives, William Middleton has written a sweeping biography of this unique couple. From their ancestors in Normandy and Alsace, to their own early years in France, and their travels in South America before settling in Houston. We see them introduced to the artists in Europe and America whose works they would collect, and we see how, by the 1960s, their collection had grown to include 17,000 paintings, sculptures, drawings, photographs, rare books, and decorative objects. And here is, as well, a vivid behind-the-scenes look at the art world of the twentieth century and the enormous influence the de Menils wielded through what they collected and built and through the causes they believed in.