Karl and quirks go hand in hand. Maybe it’s just how geniuses operate. Andy Warhol had a fascination with Concorde cutlery, and Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary designer behind his eponymous label, unintentionally became a hoarder of Apple iPods. Not that he would have noticed, he had an “iPod nanny” to manage them. Now, hundreds of unique Apple iPods from the late Chanel designer’s collection are going under the hammer at Sotheby’s.
What stands out is not just the sheer number, but how he used them. Lagerfeld had more than 300 iPods, some even personalized. A true collector, he dedicated each device to a specific genre, artist, or even a mood. “I use iPods like tapes,” he once said. “When I’m done with one, I move on to the next.” His love for physical media is hardly surprising, considering he also owned over 300,000 books, many stacked horizontally because he found it aesthetically pleasing.
The iPods are now divided into lots, each typically including four iPods, priced between €50 and €120 ($50 and $130). It is a small sum to own a piece of the man who was one of the most influential designers of the 20th and early 21st centuries. The collection spans models from Classic to Nano, covering nearly every Apple music player, including some of the earliest ones ever released.
The iPods are part of Karl Lagerfeld’s “Estate Part V – Le Studio” auction, which closes on January 31, 2025. The lot also features books, trophies, portraits, and a limited-edition Coca-Cola Light set of 33 bottles designed by Lagerfeld in 2011. It is known the German designer was obsessed with Diet Coke and would reportedly drink up to 10 cans a day. He even had a personal butler whose job included serving him Diet Coke on a silver tray. Also included are three pairs of Chanel gloves worn by Karl himself, a signature accessory he never removed, believing his hands were “ugly.”
There are no jeans or sweatpants in sight, which is hardly surprising. The man who once famously redefined fashion house Chanel said, “Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life, so you bought some sweatpants.”
