By now, we know that if you’re in Karl Lagerfeld’s entourage, you’re living good. Jet setting, rubbing shoulders with celebrities, getting free threads and being texted random pictures of Choupette Lagerfeld. It is a life anyone would be privileged to live. Harper’s Bazaar just published a “day-in-the-life”-type story on Lagerfeld’s hunky private secretary, Sebastien Jondeau, who has come a long way from his days in the hood working in his stepfather’s antique furniture store. Of course, the interview was not without its juicy details on the inner workings of what goes on at Lagerfeld HQ, Jondeau’s favorite hang out spots and, of course, a bit of tea about the most important person in Lagerfeld’s squad, Mlle. Choupette.
Below, some highlights from the thoroughly entertaining profile:
On using his cell phone:
“I keep my phone a meter from my head, as it’s not good for the brain to have it too close.”
On where you can find him in NYC:
“When I’m in New York at the Mercer, I eat breakfast in the lobby after my training.”
On his facial hair:
“My beard is going white now—I’m starting to look like Santa.”
On his relationship with Jenna Courtin-Clarins:
“We both travel so much, so we don’t see each other a lot. At least we have some mystery.”
On how he met Karl:
“I’ve worked for Karl for more than 16 years, since I was 23, but I’ve known him since I was 15. My stepfather ran an 18th-century furniture business that I worked for sometimes, and Karl was a big collector. I was always asking Karl questions. He knows everything, and he was so much cooler than I was. I wasn’t stupid, but I was curious. I came from a place in life where you don’t really know that much. I did silly, bad things when I was young; I have so many stories. I became close with Karl because I was funnier than the other guys. I did my job, but I asked questions, and he liked that.”
On Karl’s ponytail:
“No, Karl’s hair doesn’t fly out of his ponytail in a convertible. It doesn’t move!”
On giving back to his homies:
“I give things to my friends from the hood. They don’t have the money to buy a suit, but they look good, and they love it.”
On Karl’s intelligence:
“Karl’s brain is greater than all the computers in the world. Sometimes I think, ‘What the fuck? How does he do all of this?'”
On being thankful:
“Of course, I don’t live in the hood anymore. I live in a nice place in Paris. I am so lucky, you know? I never forget.”
[via Harper’s Bazaar]
