MONACO.- The first part of the Karl Lagerfeld Estate sale, held live and online in Monaco this weekend was 100% sold, achieving a total of €12 million, far surpassing its pre-sale estimate of €2-3 million. Brought together from his residences in Paris, the Paris region and Monaco, 582 lots representing a cross-section of his personal taste, life and career were offered, spanning everything from design and fine art, to cars to sketches, signature clothing and much more besides. Even before the sales began, almost 1,500 potential bidders from a record 58 countries had registered their interest in the auction, making for deep competition, and exceptional results.

A genius couturier who, in half a century, had become an intergenerational rock star, Karl Lagerfeld knew how to make a brand out of his name and his look, mastering the art of reinventing himself and his style throughout his career.

Pierre Mothes, Vice President of Sotheby's France, commented: 'Collectors, fashionistas and long-standing admirers of Karl Lagerfeld’s unique legacy and style came together this weekend, physically and virtually, to express their appreciation for one of the world’s greatest designers. There was an electric atmosphere for this incredible first sale which saw explosive bidding, with buyers fighting hard for everything from Karl’s drawings, to the art he chose to surround himself with, as well as many of his personal belongings.'

HIGHLIGHTS

• Total : €12 Million – four times its pre-sale estimate
• 100% sold by lot
• 96% of lots sold over the high estimate
• More than 1400 participants, from a record 58 countries
• One third of bidders and buyers new to Sotheby’s

MODERN AND CONTEMPOARY ART MODERNE - DESIGN

Lagerfeld’s passion for a sharp contemporary aesthetic peaked with his design of the futuristic apartment he spent two and a half years renovating on the Quai Voltaire next to the Seine. Here, in a 300-year-old building, he reinvented the traditional concept of an artist’s studio for the 21st century, with a monochromatic interior of glass, metal, concrete and silicone. This would become his primary residence in the city, where he lived with his celebrity cat Choupette. In his words: “This is not a house…It’s a spaceship!”

Contemporary Art

• Takashi Murakami Portrait of Karl Lagerfeld - 100€ (lot 52, est.: 80.000-120.000€)

• Joana Vasconcelos, Choupette, 2013 - 20.320€ (Lot 2, est. : 5.000 – 7.000€)

• Jeff Koons, Dom Pérignon Balloon Venus, 2013 - 38.100€ (lot 3, est.: 20.000 – 30.000€)

• Marie Laurencin, La sœur de Narcisse, 1908 - 50.800€ (lot 11, est. 4.000 – 6.000€)

• Mieczyslaw Szczuka, Composition abstraite, 1917 – 82.550€ (lot 314, est.: 1.000 -1.500€)

• Guy-Pierre Fauconnet (1882-1960), Vache et sa laitière (A cow and a farmer) – 152.400€ (lot 345, est.: 4.000 – 6.000€)

Contemporary Design

• Konstantin Grcic, Série Volumes, 2018 – 63.500€ (lot 29, est. : 20.000 – 30.000€)

• Marzio Cecchi,diapason desk, 1968 - 38.100€ (lot 367, est.: 2.000 – 3.000€)

• Christian Liaigre, pair of bookcases, model "Roche" – 60.960€ (lot 316, est.: 3.000 – 4.000€)

ART DECO

Lagerfeld was also an insatiable collector with an eclectic eye. Throughout his life, he had a passion for Art Deco that adorned his residences in Biarritz and Monaco, which he described as 'the roots of modernity, the modernity that I am always looking for’. His favourite designers were Louis Süe and André Mare, to whom he remained faithful throughout his long collecting career, and to whose ethos ‘Evolution in Tradition’ he stayed true. This sale included 33 lots attributed to them.

Louis Süe et André Mare

• Pair of armchairs and ottoman, c. 1925 - 114.300€ (lot 147, est.: 20.000 – 30.000€).

• Lompré dressing table, c. 1925 – 88.900€ (lot 273, est.: 7.000 – 10.000€)

• Desk, c. 1920 - (lot 300, est.: 10.000 – 15.000€)

Other Highlights from the Art Deco period:

• Black lacquered library step, late 19th – early 20th - 22.860€ (lot 5, est.: 2.000- 3.000€)




• Seizo Sougawara, Deer, c. 1920 - 60.960€ (lot 7, est.: 10.000 – 15.000€)

• Paul Iribe, Table Lamp, c. 1920 – 127.000€ (lot 8, est.: 10.000-15.000€)

KARL LAGERFELD DRAWINGS OR BY HIS FRIENDS

From fashion sketches and drawings showing the designer at work, to self-portraits and personal drawings, a number of pieces in the sale revealed the man behind the celebrity image. Also on offer were photo albums and press clippings from which Karl drew inspiration, as well as drawings by his lifelong friend and rival, Yves Saint Laurent.

• Karl Lagerfeld, Les trois muses Ines, Anna et Vicky – 203.200€ (lot 38, est. : 1.000 – 1.500€)

• Karl Lagerfeld, Trois "scrapbook" note books, mid- 80’s – 152.400€ (lot 43, est. : 000 – 5.000€)

• Karl Lagerfeld, Selfportrait, October 1986 – 107.250€ (lot 419, est. : 2.000 – 3.000€)

• Karl Lagerfeld, L'art d'accomoder les restes de fourrure, 1954 - 48.260€ (lot 421, est. : 500 – 800€)

• Karl Lagerfeld, Femme à sa fenêtre, 1949 - 82.550€ (lot 424, est. : 300 – 500€)

• Gianni Versace, Portrait of Karl Lagerfeld - 95.250€ (lot 418, est. : 300 – 500€)

MEMORABILIA

Personal Objects

The sale also featured Karl Lagerfeld's personal items, all of which were of fine quality - Jensen silver services and candlesticks, household linens, monogrammed personal items, three Rolls Royces, his iconic leather mittens that he wore tirelessly for 20 years, a selection of suit jackets by Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and KL, as well as items belonging to Choupette, Karl’s beloved cat with whom the designer shared the last eight years of his life. A number of lots featuring his inimitable and famous silhouette, including figurines by Tokidoki, also attracted much attention.

• A set of four five-light silver candlesticks, Georg Jensen, Copenhague, moderne – 139.700€ (lot 6, est. : 8.000-12.000€)

• Silver-plated oval box monogrammed KL - 43.180€ (lot 399, est. : 100 – 150€)

• Fan sur lequel Karl Lagerfed a inscrit ‘"March 7th 87 for Lorraine, for Lorraine, for Lorraine, Paris" – 82.550€ (lot 355, est. : 200 – 300€).

Memorabilia

• Five pairs of fingerless gloves Chanel - 47.880€ (lot 53, est. : 1.000 -2.000€)

• Saint Laurent Paris, Black velvet jacket - 35.280€, (lot 48, est. : 2.000 – 4.000€)

• Dior Homme, Black Wool Jacket, c. 2000 - 44.450€ (lot 47, est. 1.000 -2.000€)

• Dior Homme, Black Wool and Multicolour jacket - 66.040€ (lot 376, est. : 2.000 – 4.000€)

• [Choupette] Three small embroidered cushions "Ici c'est la place du chat", "Ici c'est la place de Choupette" - 810€ (lot 415, est. : 100 -150€)

• Mc Gregor for Habitat, a studio chair embroidered Karl Lagerfeld - 50.800€ (lot 405, est. : 2.000 – 3.000€)

• Karl Lagerfeld, Two work binders – 190.500€ (lot 423, est. : 2.000 – 3.000€)

• a personal work binder, marked I, Jean Patou collection winter 1958, signed Roland Karl Lagerfeld, including a file of photos, press clippings and invitations, notes in German

• a binder, with ink drawing of a model on the cover, dated 1954 containing press on the fashion design competition organized by the International Wool secretariat, of which KL was winner of the YSL dress coat prize

• Rolls Royce Phantom, 2018 – 439.500€ (lot 56, est.: 300.000 -350.000€)