Book Launch | “Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld”
April 20, 2024
Author William Middleton talks about his new book, Paradise Now: The Extraordinary Life of Karl Lagerfeld. Signed copies of the book, a biography of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, are available for purchase at the lecture.
Known for sporting dark sunglasses and a signature ponytail, Lagerfeld was famous for his personal style and for reinventing the House of Chanel. As Chanel creative director from 1983 until his death in 2019, Lagerfeld made bold, often controversial changes and launched his own designer brand. He maintained an aura of mystery throughout, even refusing to confirm his birth year. Paradise Now sheds new light on the designer’s life and passions for art, photography, cinema, music, history, and architecture.
“With Karl Lagerfeld, the clothes were only part of the story.” —New York Times
Plan Your Visit
- This program is included with Museum admission. The lecture takes place in the Lynn Wyatt Theater in the Kinder Building. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Parking Information | Museum Hours | MFAH Campus Map
About the Speaker
Fashion and culture writer William Middleton is the author of Double Vision, the acclaimed biography of Dominique and John de Menil. He has worked with and written for publications including Harper’s Bazaar, the International Herald Tribune, the New York Times, Texas Monthly, Travel & Leisure, Vogue, W Magazine, and Women’s Wear Daily. He lives in Paris but calls New York City his home.
All Learning and Interpretation programs at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, receive generous support from H-E-B; Institute of Museum and Library Services; Sempra Foundation; the Brown Foundation, Inc.; the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; the Joe Barnhart Foundation; the Cockrell Family Fund; the CFP Foundation; Macey and Harry Reasoner; the Texas Commission on the Arts; and the Junior League of Houston, Inc.
Endowment funds are provided by the Louise Jarrett Moran Bequest; Caroline Wiess Law; Windgate Foundation; the William Randolph Hearst Foundation; Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff; the National Endowment for the Humanities; the Fondren Foundation; BMC Software, Inc.; the Wallace Foundation; the Neal Myers and Ken Black Children’s Art Fund; the Eleanor and Frank Freed Foundation; Medha and Shashank Karve; Virginia and Ira Jackson; Jesse H. Jones II; the CFP Foundation; the Favrot Fund; gifts in memory of John Wynne; Neiman Marcus Youth Arts Education; gifts in memory of Peter Lotz; and gifts in honor of Beth Schneider.