As one of the world's most renowned couturiers, Karl Lagerfeld sketched hundreds of designs in his lifetime – and a series of them are set to be sold this week.
Two months after the death of Lagerfeld, who passed away in Paris in February, 125 of his etchings will go up for auction in the US.
The collection of artworks by the designer, who died aged 85, has been privately owned since the 1960s, and were sketched during Lagerfeld's tenure at the House of Tiziani in Rome, before he became a household name.
The fact the drawings still exist makes them a rarity, as Lagerfeld once told The New Yorker magazine he "throws everything away". "The most important piece of furniture in a house is the garbage can," he said in a 2007 interview. "I keep no archives of my own, no sketches, no photos, no clothes – nothing."
The series of sketches feature two crafted by the designer for actress Elizabeth Taylor, which are expected to raise up to $3,000 (Dh11,000) each.
Portfolios, which hold between 22 to 44 drawings, are expected to sell for up to $4,000, Urban Cultures Auctions told Fortune.
"I look at the sketches, and they are art," added auctioneer Rico Baca, ahead of the sale on April 18. "They don’t look like sketches for a collection, they look like works of art to sell the pieces to the clients."
Lagerfeld left behind a rich and storied legacy, thanks to his work at Chanel, Fendi, Chloe and more. Following his death, his second-in-command at Chanel, Virginie Viard, was announced as the house's new artistic director.
