Like Apollinaire, Gary, Maupassant, Cocteau, Fitzgerald or Nabokov, Karl left his own mark on the Côte d’Azur. He began frequenting the Riviera in the early 1980s, when he started working at Chanel. Very quickly, he developed a passion for this region, especially Monaco and the Princely Family, for whom he would always feel great admiration and immense affection. He stayed there often, not only at the famous Villa Vigie, but also in various apartments.


In the early 1990s, he designed costumes for the Ballets de Monte-Carlo and for the opera. It was in 1999, for the first time, that Karl took part in the stage design of the Bal de la Rose at the request of His Serene Highness Prince Rainier III. In the following years, he continued to contribute to the theme of this magnificent ball alongside Princess Caroline.

Karl did not stop there and, over the years, never ceased to multiply projects in Monaco, such as the magnificent fresco at the Hôtel Métropole, a short film at the Casino, and a fashion show in the Salle Garnier..

To finish in style, he chose the theme of the Riviera of the 1950s for the 65th Bal de la Rose, an ultimate tribute to the Côte d’Azur, with sumptuous sets evoking the atmosphere of the Riviera’s golden years.



Jean-Paul Sartre said: “We do not want to miss anything of our time; perhaps there are more beautiful ones, but this is ours.” Karl missed nothing of his time, but what is certain is that he will be missed on the Côte d’Azur…
Sources: Nice Matin, Wikipedia, Madame Le Figaro. Photos: Monte-Carlo SBM official website.
Leave a Reply