PENCIL-PUSHER: A tray of Faber-Castell coloring pencils, as enticing as jelly beans, are never far from Karl Lagerfeld’s elbow. Over a career spanning more than six decades, he has used them to create hundreds of thousands of designs. One can always find his inimitable sketches pinned to the wall at Rue Cambon in Paris, Largo Carlo Goldoni in Rome and Rue Saint-Guillaume in Paris, the respective addresses for Chanel, Fendi and the Karl Lagerfeld brand — not to mention on invitations and as political cartoons.
Which is why the designer’s collaboration with Faber-Castell must have been a breeze and a true delight. Lagerfeld created Karlbox, a large collection of tools and supplies for sketching housed in a box inspired by a Chinese wedding chest.
The limited-edition chest is to go on sale Sept. 1 at Faber-Castell stores and Karl Lagerfeld boutiques, rolling out to select department and specialty stores on Sept 19. It will be priced around 2,500 euros, or $2,825 at current exchange rates.
Founded in 1761 by a cabinet-maker and headquartered in Stein, Germany, Faber-Castell bills itself as the world’s largest pencil manufacturer, capable of producing more than 2 billion a year. The family-owned firm generates annual revenues of about 577 million euros, or $652.1 million, according to its web site. Other famous users of its colored pencils from the past include Vincent van Gogh and Paul Klee.