Haute House: Karl Lagerfeld's luxurious, 8-room Parisian home fetches $10 mn at auction
Karl Lagerfeld was a mega-collector. Of high-collared white shirts (1,000). Of books (300,000). Of period décor (art deco, Memphis Group, 18th-century European). And of homes — at least 20, in Europe and in New York.
«He loved buying, redesigning and decorating houses,» said Sébastien Jondeau, the longtime assistant and bodyguard of the fashion designer, who died in 2019 at age 85. «It was a true passion.»
One of those homes, the Bond-villain-like lair on the Quai Voltaire in Paris that was Lagerfeld's last residence — sold at auction at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Paris on Tuesday for 10 million euros ($10.8 million). More than 50 attendees gathered for the sale of the 2,800-square-foot apartment, which Lagerfeld shared with Choupette, his beloved blue-eyed Birman cat. Bidding began shortly after 10 a.m. at 5.3 million euros, and quickly turned into a standoff between two parties: one who was off-site and communicating through an auction official in the room via a landline telephone, the other who was represented by a French lawyer seated in the second row and taking instruction on his cellphone.
The lawyer, who would not give his name for reasons of confidentiality, appeared to be taking direction in English from his client via a telephone earpiece. Offers bounced between the two bidders by increments of 50,000 to 150,000 euros for nearly 20 minutes, until the lawyer's bid jumped from 9.3 million euros to 10 million euros. The auction official on the landline with the telephone bidder made a hand
