AMONG THE FASHION press, few people generate more excitement and fear than Karl Lagerfeld. At the age of 67 (or 72, if you believe the German tabloids), he's regarded as one of the world's most prolific and influential fashion designers - and the most controversial.
Although journalists often find him unpredictable and moody, colleagues describe him as a dream to work with. Over the years, many have felt the sting of his scathing tongue, including actress Lindsay Lohan, whom he dismissed as the new face of Chanel, and singer Elton John, whose wedding he refused to attend last December. Outraged when H&M extended his collection for the British high-street store to sizes 14-16, the average for British women, Lagerfeld sneered that his outfits were for 'slim, slender people'.
Fortunately, he's in a good mood when he flies into Hong Kong. And rightfully so. Lagerfeld is in town to present the first Chanel haute couture show in Asia - an event that's rarely held outside Paris. He plans to stay a few extra days to supervise the photography for Chanel's autumn/winter ready-to-wear campaign with model Daria Werbowy.
'It's been eight years since I've been here,' he says. 'It's changed a lot, but things look good. We've shot in Paris, New York and Los Angeles, so it's time to do Hong Kong. It's good timing because Chanel has a big new shop here and they have couture clients.
'I don't need millions of reasons. I knew I wanted to come here, but I needed a professional reason. Usually I don't recreate a couture show, but here they're capable of rebuilding a set and getting it done. I thought why not? Even without couture I would've done the advertising here.'
Lagerfeld speaks in rapid-fire English (he's also fluent in Italian, German and French), jumping swiftly from topic to topic, dismissing questions that don't interest him.