Disney Has Found Its Karl For New Karl Lagerfeld Series
The new series will chronicle the designer's rise to the pinnacle of fashion.
Karl Lagerfeld changed the way we approach and see fashion. He was one of the most innovative designers in the industry and worked as creative director for Chanel, Fendi, and his namesake brand at the same time—not to mention so many others throughout his career. His death in 2019 was deeply felt not only by fashion professionals but by the entire world.
Fortunately, Lagerfeld's legacy will be reincarnated in an upcoming series. In 2021, Disney announced Karl Kaiser, a new TV show that will recount the German designer's journey and its little-known details, starting in the summer of 1972 through to his success at Chanel.
The new series is based on a biography written by Raphaëlle Bacqué, who investigated some of the most important behind-the-scenes moments throughout the designer's life. Of course, the program will also investigate his personal life and relationships, such as his romance with Jacques de Bascher, as well as his rivalry with Yves Saint Laurent.
In an official statement, Disney Vice President of Programming Pauline Dauvin said: “We were immediately seduced by the idea of an adaptation of Bacqué’s biography, which will mark the first collaboration between Disney and Gaumont on a French original show. The series shows a unique moment of transformation in the fashion industry in France in the '70s, embodied by an icon with multiple metamorphoses, Karl Lagerfeld."
Regarding the cast, Disney has confirmed that German actor Daniel Brühl will star as Lagerfeld. Other cast members include Arnaud Valois and Alex Lutz playing Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, and actor Théodore Pellerin will star as Jacques de Bascher, Lagerfeld's love interest. Jeanne Damas will play Paloma Picasso, Sunnyi Melles as Marlene Dietrich, Agnès Jaoui as Chloé founder Gaby Aghion, and Paul Spera as Andy Warhol.
Filming and production are already underway in France, Monaco, and Italy. While the teaser trailer has yet to drop and more details of the plot have been kept under wraps, from what we know so far, Karl Kaiser is set to release later this year.
