A new French mini-series is based on German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, with Daniel Brühl in the lead role. Besides haute couture, it’s about a passionate love affair.
Who says no one is a prophet in his own country? Just a few weeks ago, the Senate of the German state of Hamburg decided to rename a section of a street the Karl Lagerfeld Promenade. Although it is only 150 meters (490 feet) long, it is very central and also close to Karl Lagerfeld’s favorite bookstore, Felix Judd. The Hamburg native was known to be a booklover.
Meanwhile, the French, who are generally skeptical of German fashion, have commissioned a glossy streaming series dedicated to the designer called “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld.”
The man behind the project is the prestigious French film group Gaumont, founded in 1895 and one of the oldest film production companies in the world.
Entertainment journalist Simone Schlosser, a leading expert on soap operas in Germany, told DW that this source is a good thing. “It would be strange to approach the whole thing from a German perspective – after all, Lagerfeld has lived almost his entire life in France.”
Also read: Fendi showcases minimalist futurism in tribute to Karl Lagerfeld at Paris Couture Week
A German in Paris
The first six episodes are available on streaming providers Disney+ and Hulu since early June. If they are successful, they will be the beginning of a very long production.
Director Jérôme Salle and the team of screenwriters initially focus on just one decade of Lagerfeld’s eventful life, from the early 1970s to the early 1980s. The last episode (for now) ends with a supposed fax in June 1981, inviting Lagerfeld to take over the famous Maison Chanel as the new Directeur Artistique.
Some viewers might have preferred to see the Lagerfeld series begin with this scene, as his design success really takes off. Others might find it interesting to watch young Karl, born into a wealthy Hamburg business family in 1933, the year Hitler came to power, move from less popular Germany to Paris at the age of 19 and work hard to become the head designer of one of the leading houses in the world’s fashion capital.
Intrigue, sex and fashion in the City of Lights
In any case, narrowing the focus to 1970s Paris makes for a thrilling scenario: the fashion industry is booming, parties and drugs are rampant, and practically everyone is sleeping with each other.
Paloma Picasso, daughter of modern art legend Pablo, schmoozes among the jet set, Andy Warhol arrives, and behind the closed doors of her boudoir, Marlene Dietrich (played by Sunny Meles) celebrates her self-imposed isolation. And there’s a terrific kid, a genius around whom the fashion world revolves: Yves Saint Laurent (Arnaud Valois). Volatile, eccentric, very French – a contrast to the eccentric but business-minded and somehow very German Karl Lagerfeld (Daniel Brühl).
Yves and Karl are two opposites who attract each other; they are both adversaries and confidants. They compete with each other and can’t leave each other – especially when the charmingly handsome dandy Jacques de Bascher (Théodore Pellerin) appears. Bascher also has a passionate affair with Lagerfeld’s great love, Yves Saint Laurent. This love triangle alone would deserve a series.
Are fashion stories fashionable?
“Becoming Karl Lagerfeld” is the third series about a fashion designer coming to the international streaming market from early 2024. The production about the Spanish fashion designer Cristóbal Balenciaga (named after him) and “The New Look”, a production focused on Christian Dior and Coco Chanel, were launched at the beginning of the year. Coincidence?
To some extent, says series expert Simone Schlosser. But only partly because the productions are following a trend: “They all have an interesting main character who in some way does not reflect the mainstream image of the ‘old white man’. These are queer characters, for example. Therefore, you can use them to explore questions of identity.”
At the same time, fashion lines in particular are a form of escapism that’s typical of today, Schlosser says.
“Because they have everything we need – it’s the fascination with stories, the historical background, the beautiful costumes and sets. You immerse yourself in another world, the world of the catwalk and the atelier, which is otherwise very far away from you.”
Daniel Brühl transforms into Karl Lagerfeld
But, Schlosser points out, “Becoming Karl Lagerfeld” has something that the other series don’t: lead actor Daniel Brühl. “I think Brühl is terrific as Lagerfeld!” enthuses Simone Schlosser, reiterating the universal acclaim the German actor has received. His casting might seem unlikely at first glance, as the mild-looking star of films such as “Good Bye, Lenin!” bears little resemblance to the notoriously pugnacious fashion czar.
Schlosser says it’s even more interesting to watch Brühl’s transformation. “At the beginning, there’s still nothing special about his Lagerfeld: no ponytail, fan or sunglasses. Then it starts to gradually take off. His hair gradually gets longer, his glasses get more tinted,” she says. And then the magic of acting kicks in and we see Karl Lagerfeld with all his imperfections.
Lots of sex scenes
This is the result of the extensive research Brühl did for the role, which included interviewing Lagerfeld’s friends and closely studying the designer’s mannerisms and movements. He and co-star Theodore Pellerin became so immersed in their roles that they posed like a romantic couple even off set. Brühl told his wife that he was “temporarily” in love with a man. And describing the huge bouquet of red roses sent by Pellerin, he admitted, “My wife has never received anything like it.”
“Daniel Brühl’s performance is very restrained. He doesn’t make it a caricature, but rather plays the role with great sincerity and appreciation,” says Schlosser. His portrayal allows us to see Lagerfeld as a great romantic and sometimes a tragic figure.
But Schlosser’s praise isn’t limited to the entire production. “I think the series doesn’t do justice to Lagerfeld’s character, and it’s often uncomfortably voyeuristic.”
There is a lot about the designer’s private life, although he never revealed much about it. “He was a very discreet person,” he said.
Of course, Lagerfeld and Bashar loved each other, otherwise the real Lagerfeld wouldn’t have spent months at the bedside of his AIDS-stricken partner (his beloved “Jacko” died in 1989). “But the series producers keep trying to put the two in sex scenes together, and I don’t think that’s good,” says Schlosser.
As Karl Lagerfeld once said, “I don’t like to sleep with people I really love. I don’t want to sleep with them because sex can’t last, but affection can last forever.”
