Karl Lagerfeld: The Colour of the 18th Century

Patrick Hourcade assisted Karl Lagerfeld for twenty-five years and helped him to build up his 18th century collection, sold in 2000. A student of André Chastel, former artistic director of Vogue Paris, a photographer and stage designer, he was one of the couturier's closest friends. He reminisces: "One morning in 1975, arriving shortly before the opening of the Archives Nationales at the Hôtel de Rohan, the young architecture historian that I was bumped into the team of Andy Warhol, who was filming with Paul Morrissey. A few weeks later, Anna Piaggi introduced me to Karl Lagerfeld, at Lipp's. I knew nothing about that world. He said to me: "Jacques [de Bascher - Ed.] has just persuaded me to buy a château in Brittany, which looks nothing like a Breton château; it's more like a mansion in Rue de Varenne." So I strongly…