karl lagerfeld's proust questionnaire, completed for vanity fair in september of 2005, doesn't reveal much about karl except that he is a huge narcissist that uncleverly dodges questions...except questions where he can engage in some intellectual name dropping. (photo: see karl lagerfeld photoshop contest)
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
I am perfectly happy as long as I don’t ask myself if I am happy …
What is your greatest fear?
To lose my health. A boring subject, but life is more fun when you feel great …
What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?
I got used to even my bad traits. Indifference is one of them … I still fight against it.
What is the trait you most deplore in others?
I take people the way they are … with me … but that may be also a part of my indifference.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?
Manipulative religious hypocrisy.
On what occasion do you lie?
When it makes circumstances easier …
What do you dislike most about your appearance?
I spend my life working on that subject …
What is your greatest regret?
I have little regret for wrongdoings of my past. Just a little remorse sometimes …
What or who is the greatest love of your life?
My life is not over yet. There is no other way to answer such a question …
What is your current state of mind?
Much more positive than I expected it to be at my age …
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
It may sound strange: myself, or what I did with myself—how I manipulated myself.
What is your most treasured possession?
I fight against possessions. They victimize you … if not, little worthless things I would not mention.
What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?
Ill health, unwanted loneliness, and—to be honest—to be poor; or the three together …
Where would you like to live?
New York could be the next step … but I am not a one-place person.
What is your favorite occupation?
My jobs: fashion, photography, publishing books. If not, time with my friends and daydreaming.
What do you most value in your friends?
I take them as they are. Family you get—friends you have to find … Up to you to find the right friends without too much questioning.
Who are your favorite writers?
In what language? I like poets best, E. Dickinson (English), R. M. Rilke (German), Mallarmé (French), Leopardi (Italian). I speak no other languages and I don’t believe in translated poetry …
Who is your favorite hero of fiction?
Virginia Woolf’s Orlando …
Who are your heroes in real life?
There are a few, but I cannot mention them. Some people would be surprised not to be on the list—and others would be … perhaps …
What are your favorite names?
Tancrede (for boys), Allegra (for girls).
What is it that you most dislike?
Monday mornings …
How would you like to die?
I hate the idea of death—I prefer to disappear …
on
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
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