Karl Lagerfeld’s cat Choupette is ‘like a chic lady’ with a personal maid, says designer
Lagerfeld says his famous feline makes him feel like a recharged phone
Choupette, a white-haired cat, is no ordinary four-legged feline especially with fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld being her owner.
Having inspired a number of Lagerfeld’s products, Choupette has become a famous face in the fashion world, garnering her own social media following, participating in some campaigns and even has her own set of personal maids.
It should come as no surprise then, that her success and keeping up with appearances is “a full-time job” for the likes of her owner, Karl Lagerfeld.
“Choupette is such a strange thing because I never thought that I could fall in love with an animal like this,” Karl Lagerfeld, fashion designer and owner of Choupette, told CNBC’s Tania Bryer.
According to Lagerfeld, he came across the white-haired cat when he spent two weeks with the animal, looking after Choupette when one of his friends, reportedly fashion model Baptiste Giabiconi, went travelling. “When he came back I thought I’m sorry Choupette is mine,” said Lagerfeld.
“She’s (become) a world famous star. She has her own fortune – for the things she did in Japan and in Germany, for cars and things like that.”
In March 2015, Lagerfeld said in an interview with The Cut, that Choupette had earned three million euros (US$3.18 million) during 2014 from participating in two projects: one for cars in Germany, and the other for a beauty product in Japan.
A photo posted by KARL LAGERFELD (@karllagerfeld) on Sep 5, 2014 at 4:09am PDT
During the “CNBC Conversation” episode, Lagerfeld explained how Choupette could at times be “a full-time job”, with the cat travelling alongside Lagerfeld and a maid, when they go overseas.
“She’s over-groomed and everything. She has several maids. She’s never alone when I’m not there. Oh no no…Even if she sleeps, she doesn’t want to be alone. She’s like a chic lady, like a kept woman with her personal maid.”
A photo posted by KARL LAGERFELD (@karllagerfeld) on Sep 23, 2013 at 3:30am PDT
The furry companion has had an impact on the designer’s life; with Lagerfeld telling CNBC he believes he’s become a better person for having the cat in his life.
“(Choupette) gives something magical that I understand that the Egyptians from 4000 years before Jesus Christ, for them the cats were the most important animal. I understand that.”
“And she gives energy. It’s very strange. When I have her next to me I feel like a telephone (that) is recharged!”
For more from CNBC Conversation, click here .
