The artist Patrick Hourcade met Karl Lagerfeld in 1976 sparking a friendship that would last
more than twenty years strengthened by their shared passion for eighteenth-century art.
Following his education in art history Patrick Hourcade joined the creative team at Vogue
Paris and in parallel he introduced Karl to the art of the Enlightenment of which Hourcade
is a fervent expert. From then on he assisted the fashion designer with each of his lavish
acquisitions¿mansions furniture and works of art. The two built a magnificent universe
together refined and at times luxuriously extravagant notably at the château de Grand-Champ
in Brittany l¿hôtel Pozzo di Borgo in Paris or at La Vigie a villa on the French Riviera.
Patrick Hourcade recounts the story of their aesthetic complicity through previously
unpublished documents and a unique biography in which he reveals Karl Lagerfeld in all of his
splendor as well as his weaknesses. This intimate story introduces the colorful cast of
characters who were important to the designer including Anna Piaggi Francine Crescent Laure
de Beauvau Liliane de Rothschild Pierre Bergé Yves Saint Laurent Gilles Defour Vincent
Darré Guy Bourdin Andrée Putnam and most importantly the two great loves of Karl¿s life:
his mother Elisabeth and Jacques de Bascher.
