Karl Lagerfeld on photography

“It’s a stupid story, but those are usually the best, no?” said Karl Lagerfeld of his foray into photography. “When we do collections, the press kits have to be ready the day of the show, though the clothes are never ready.” The designer, who was honored by the International Center of Photography with the ICP Trustees Award at its 23rd Annual Infinity Awards gala, was evidently exuding a one-track mind, having just tapped Claudia Schiffer to star in his upcoming Chanel cruise press kit. “Twenty years ago, good photographers didn’t do press kits,” he continued. “We’d tried with several and I didn’t like what they did, so the director of the image of Chanel said to me, ‘If it’s that difficult, do it yourself,’ and that’s how it began. I started late, so I am still a young photographer.”