Matt Tyrnauer pays tribute to Karl Lagerfeld

Valentino: The Last Emperor director honours fashion legend

by Anne-Katrin Titze

Matt Tyrnauer captures Karl Lagerfeld's proclamation backstage at Valentino's 45th anniversary fashion show in Rome in his Valentino: The Last Emperor
Matt Tyrnauer captures Karl Lagerfeld's proclamation backstage at Valentino's 45th anniversary fashion show in Rome in his Valentino: The Last Emperor

Matt Tyrnauer, the director of Where's My Roy Cohn?, Studio 54, Scotty And The Secret History Of Hollywood, Citizen Jane: Battle For The City, and Valentino: The Last Emperor, sent the following remembrance in honour of Karl Lagerfeld, who died yesterday in Paris at the age of 85.

"Karl Lagerfeld was an astonishing force of nature. One thing I noticed about fashion legends is that it usually takes two to tango: the creative force and more silent business partner. Think Valentino and Giammetti; Saint Laurent and Bergé. In the case of Karl, he was more of a lone wolf, a one-man-band who managed to keep the legend alive, the business going, and the creativity flowing for generations as a solo act. He was also one of the most witty and engaging people I have ever interviewed. His curiosity was off the charts, which is not a normal trait for living legends. In the photo above - maybe one of the greatest moments in fashion history ever caught on film - Lagerfeld congratulates Valentino backstage, after Valentino’s 45th anniversary fashion show in Rome. Lagerfeld says to Valentino, 'Compared to us the rest are making rags.' From a filmmaking perspective, it doesn’t get much better than that on a big shoot day."

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