A lovely anecdote about the late Karl Lagerfeld shows him in an unexpected light
After a lifetime spent at the cutting edge of fashion, the great designer, Karl Lagerfeld, has died in Paris at the age of 85. He had a reputation for self-reinvention and clear vision, and his sense of personal style was instantly recognisable. One anecdote, shared on Twitter by journalist, Svenja O’Donnell, paints an unexpected picture of the man who was at the helm of Chanel for decades – this is how it unfolded.
I have a very fond memory of @karllagerfeld which I’d like to share.
As a child, I was invited to a 7th birthday party in one of Paris’s chicest neighbourhoods. The theme was fancy dress. Now, Paris is a place where people start dressing competitively from their infancy.— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
Svenja was lucky enough to have a well-placed connection.
Choosing an outfit was no light-hearted matter; my mother fretted over it for days. My godmother, who was then working for Karl, whom she had known for many years, offered to help. She soon produced a beautiful yellow silk princess dress, sourced from offcuts from Chloe.
— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
Like many a little child before her, she had her heart set on something other than what was on offer.
It was yellow, with jewels sewn into the edges of the collar and very beautiful. The problem was that, aged 7, I was a complete tomboy. I flatly refused to wear it. You see, I’d already set my heart on my outfit. I was going to go to this party dressed as a box.
— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
I’m not entirely sure how the idea of the box came about. But when I was presented with my princess dress at my godmother’s workplace, I started to cry.
— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
Unlike most other children, a fashion and pop culture icon was on hand to help persuade her.
Faced with such monstrous ingratitude, my godmother calmly suggested I step in to Karl Lagerfeld’s office, so he could explain why I should not pass up the chance, aged 7, to wear a Chloe-designed princess dress.
— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
Most busy, high flying people in this situation would probably have told me not to be brat, but he did no such thing.
Instead, Karl got up from his desk and came to sit down on the floor beside me. He asked what I wanted to wear.
“A box,” I said mutinously.— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
Instead of persuading her, he helped her realise her wish.
He sprang up and clapped his hands. “A wonderful idea!” he replied, beaming, and he really meant it. Within minutes, he’d got his assistant to bring a selection of boxes from the storeroom. We found one big enough to cover me and he helped me cut out holes for my head and arms.
— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
I still remember what it looked like: it had a Lagerfeld fan on the front. We completed the outfit with a pair of red socks and white trainers.
— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
It says a lot about his creative spark and patience, and will remain a treasured memory for Svenja.
I’ll always it as the day one of the world’s greatest designers, himself no stranger to tantrums, took an hour of his time to indulge the creativity of a child. It still gives me the courage, thirty years later, to have confidence in my ideas. Thanks again Karl; the box was a hit
— Svenja O'Donnell (@SvenjaODonnell) February 19, 2019
People loved her story, with some sharing their own tales.
A beautiful story. Thanks for sharing it!
— Alexis Fernandes (@AlexFTweets) February 19, 2019
I was walking down Sloane Avenue once and saw @KarlLagerfeld at a bus stop. As I drew level with him I realised he was just standing outside his London boutique on it’s opening night. #strangeencounters
— Steve Clarke (@steveclarketv) February 19, 2019
This story is utterly beautiful. https://t.co/7yCJhPMBeW
— Jane Casey (@JaneCaseyAuthor) February 19, 2019
I went as a box to a fancy dress competition (technically I went as an Oxo cube). I fell over on my back and couldn't get up .
— Pam Rostron (@GottaBake) February 19, 2019
Twitter user @MarciaBunney recognised the importance of the exchange.
*This* is the way our lives are shaped & changed—@ any age. The gift of one’s time & full-on attention is beyond mere price.
— Marcia La Résistance 🇺🇸 (@MarciaBunney) February 19, 2019
How true.
