Karl Lagerfeld's Sketch Archive Heads to Sotheby’s Paris

The online features unseen drawings, fingerless gloves and iPods spanning decades of fashion history.

Summary

• Sotheby’s Paris will auction over 1,000 previously unseen personal sketches from the estate of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in an online sale running from July 2 to 8, 2026
• The collection features historical drawings that date back to the 1970s alongside items such as his signature fingerless gloves and approximately 200 iPods
• All lots in this sixth estate auction are offered without reserve prices with bids starting at one euro and an accompanying public exhibition in Paris ending on July 7

Sotheby’s Paris is preparing to auction over 1,000 previously unseen personal sketches from the estate of the late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld. The massive online sale runs from July 2 to 8. Bidders can participate without reserve prices. Opening bids start at a single euro. An accompanying public exhibition in the French capital will run concurrently and close on July 7.

The extensive collection features historical drawings that date back to the 1970s. Many of these working documents and satirical political illustrations remained strictly private during the lifetime of the creative director. He passed away in 2019 and left behind an unprecedented personal archive. The visionary was renowned for his enthusiastic collecting habits that spanned multiple eras of art and design. Records indicate he spent lavishly to decorate his numerous homes in the ornate style of the Ancien Régime before notoriously shifting to a highly minimalist aesthetic in the early 2000s.

This upcoming event marks the sixth dedicated estate sale organized by the auction house. Previous installments took place across major European hubs including Paris, Cologne and Monaco. Sotheby’s describes this latest presentation as the final release from his personal holdings. The availability of these raw hand-colored illustrations provides a rare glimpse into his rapid-fire creative process. Global art markets continually show immense appetite for his physical artifacts.

Beyond traditional works on paper, the latest catalog highlights his highly specific organizational habits. The lot features his trademark fingerless gloves alongside a staggering collection of approximately 200 iPods. He famously utilized these portable music players to meticulously categorize specific audio genres and organize soundtracks for his spectacular runway presentations.

His fantastical sketches and personal items continue to hold immense cultural weight. These exact types of preliminary drawings recently received equal billing alongside his finished haute couture garments at a major 2023 museum retrospective in New York. The forthcoming summer auction offers enthusiasts a final opportunity to acquire a tangible piece of his legendary design legacy.