Becoming Karl Lagerfeld

Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, the highly anticipated series of the rainy Spring/Summer 2024 season, aired on Disney+ and received mostly positive reviews from film and fashion critics. As a devoted admirer of the designer, I remain skeptical.

In 2019, Karl Lagerfeld took his final bow. Only death could force this workaholic into eternal rest. I still remember Cara Delevingne walking the runway with tears in her eyes during the last Chanel show imagined by this German genius. Since then, countless biographies—some more moving than others—have been written about his life. The best one? Ça va, mon cher Karl?, written by none other than his chauffeur…

This year, his life has been reimagined for the screen. At the beginning of each episode, we are warned that this biopic is “loosely inspired” by true events, meaning that some situations never actually took place.

I understand the disclaimer, given Karl Lagerfeld’s discretion about his private life. But in that case, why not stick to the well-documented facts? The involvement of Raphaëlle Bacqué in the series’ creation immediately raised a red flag for me. The journalist had previously published a disdainful book about Karl’s world and the world of Haute Couture. That same arrogant perspective is evident throughout the episodes.

Karl Lagerfeld Would Never Lose His Temper

Now, back to the series. At this point in his career, Karl is mainly designing for Chloé and fighting to elevate the brand to Haute Couture status. He is constantly at odds with Pierre Bergé, who fuels the rivalry between Karl and Yves Saint Laurent.

Aside from these intriguing conflicts, the show mainly revolves around Karl’s tumultuous relationship with Jacques de Bascher. And that is disappointing. While Jacques undeniably played an important role in his life, I find it hard to believe that Karl Lagerfeld spent so much time managing his lover’s affairs and constantly losing his temper over Jacques’ excesses. Their relationship was known to be deeply affectionate yet platonic. Until AIDS took Jacques de Bascher’s life, Karl remained by his side—reportedly even requesting an additional bed in the hospital room.

According to Karl et moi by Baptiste Giabiconi, the Kaiser was calm yet firm in all circumstances.

That being said, I must acknowledge the outstanding performances of Daniel Brühl and Théodore Pellerin, who take on the roles of Karl Lagerfeld and Jacques de Bascher, respectively.