Titled Ça va, cher Karl?, the book recounts his life and moments spent close to the legendary fashion designer who died in 2019
Sebastien Jondeau, the former bodyguard and personal assistant of Karl Lagerfeld, has written a memoir in collaboration with Virginie Mouzat, called Ça va, cher Karl? or How are you, dear Karl?. The book recounts his life and times in over 20 years spent up close with the legendary fashion designer, who died February 19, 2019.
ETX Studio asked him a few questions.
You grew up on a housing estate in the [notoriously tough] Paris suburbs. Did you experience a kind of culture shock when you entered Karl's world?
Sébastien Jondeau (SJ) It's true that I grew up in several places in the North Banlieue. When I arrived in Paris, I discovered Karl's world, it was the opposite of our kinds of lives, that's for sure. It took me a little while to get used to, but I appreciated it.
People talk about you as Karl Lagerfeld's muse, his right-hand man, his bodyguard. What was the nature of your relationship with him?
SJ I don't think I was Karl's muse. I was the model for the brand, as for many others, because Karl liked to improvise, to slip me into photos at the last minute—adverts, shows—for all of the brands with which he worked ... Otherwise, yes, I was his personal assistant and his bodyguard. He was first and foremost my boss.
You cover Karl's illness in detail. What do you remember about those years during which no one knew that the designer was unwell?
SJ I just remember that we did the job, and we did it well! Him as well as me. That's all we wanted, that nobody should know anything. It wasn't much fun at the time, but we got through it alright, that's the main thing.
What would he say if he knew you were talking about these moments of his life?
SJ He would be upset with me!
Is there one moment that particularly marked you in your 20 years at Karl Lagerfeld's side?
SJ The moment he left us.