The latest biographical drama, Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, a dramatic reliving of the life of one of the most iconic fashion designers, best remembered for his signature pair of white hair and black sunglasses, drops on Hulu on Friday, June 7, 2024.
Becoming Karl Lagerfeld chronicles the enigmatic life and turbulent personal relationships of the German fashion designer who redefined Fendi and Chanel, from his formative years to achieving the “iconic” moniker in the fashion scene.
The biographical drama series brings Daniel Bruhl, whose credits include The Bourne Ultimatum and Captain America: Civil War, to play one of the fashion industry’s most successful names.
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And if the trailer for Becoming Karl Lagerfeld is to set a precedent for the show, viewers can expect beautiful costumes, Lagerfeld’s tumultuous relationship with Jacques de Bascher, and the ugly rivalry with ex-friend-turned-rival Yves Saint Laurent.
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Becoming Karl Lagerfeld: What to know about the German fashion icon ahead of the series
Like any icon, when they leave this world, their life becomes even more interesting. As for Karl Lagerfeld, who passed away in 2019, his “iconic” status as a creative power behind Chanel and Fendi has only increased interest in his life and rise to fame.
Books have been written about him, his life, and his fashion legacy. Now, there will be a docu-series loosely based on Kaiser Karl, a biography Raphaelle Bacque released shortly after the fashion designer’s demise. In the heart of Becoming Karl Lagerfeld, Karl is featured as an aspiring fashion designer even before he became the Karl Lagerfeld that is now known in the fashion scene and beyond.
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Born as Karl Otto Lagerfeld in Hamburg in the early 1930s, just a couple of years before the Second World War, one would think that the young Lagerfeld had a somewhat challenging life. However, the opposite is true: Despite the war, his childhood was one of relative comfort, thanks to his wealthy German businessman father.
Even in his teen years, fashion surrounded the young Lagerfeld. He was only 14 when the family left Hamburg for the style and fashion capital of the world—Paris. After studying drawing, it wasn’t long before Lagerfeld entered fashion, a design competition in particular. His sketch of a coat caught the eye of one of the great Parisian couturiers of the time, Pierre Balmain, and he won.
A fashion icon even in his youth, a single competition was what it took for Lagerfeld’s prodigious talent to be seen in the fashion world, quickly earning him the art director role for Jean Patuo at just 20 years old.
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After staying in the fashion house for five years and feeling conflicted about not wanting to work under someone else’s direction and not feeling ready to open his own fashion house, Lagerfeld decided to freelance. In the 1960s, he became one of the world’s first fashion design freelancers and worked with various brands all over Europe before he ended up with Chloe.
From Chloe, Karl Lagerfeld’s prolific fashion sense continued with Fendi, the famed fashion house he helped revitalize to become one of the world's most famous and coveted brands.
While Lagerfeld’s earlier works were much loved, the initial reception of the German fashion designer at Chanel, where he became the new creative director after his contract with Chloe ended, wasn’t as warm.
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But he worked hard, and while his modernized approach to the house received mixed reviews, he eventually won his critics. The Karl Lagerfeld name became synonymous with the brand as the Parisian fashion designer and icon Coco Chanel.
While still working with Fendi and Chanel, Lagerfeld launched his eponymous label. Like the creative man behind the house, the Karl Lagerfeld brand is best known for its embrace of black color, tightly fitted silhouettes, and racy designs.
Fashion was very much a part of Karl Lagerfeld until the very end. The prolific German fashion designer's last design was Fendi’s Autumn & Winter 2019 collection, which was shown just days after he passed away in Paris at age 85.
While Lagerfeld’s life revolves around style and fashion, Becoming Karl Lagerfeld focuses more on the man than the fashion.
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When and where to watch Becoming Karl Lagerfeld
All six episodes of the French bio-drama Becoming Karl Lagerfeld drop all at once for US audiences and will be available for streaming on Hulu on Friday, June 7, 2024, with a subscription:
- $7.99 a month for an ad-supported plan
- $17.99 a month for an ad-free plan
Audiences elsewhere can watch Becoming Karl Lagerfeld via Disney Plus on the same release date.
