Karl Lagerfeld’s mother ‘strapped him to his bed to stop him from eating’, André Leon Talley reveals

When Karl Lagerfeld was young his mother strapped him in bed with leather restraints to stop him from eating at night, Vogue’s former editor-at-large has revealed in his new memoir obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

André Leon Talley said the late designer admitted his mother took extreme measures to curb his diet and when he was eight years old his mother told him: ‘You look like an old dy**’.

Another time she said to her son: ‘You look like me, but not as good’, Talley writes in his upcoming memoir The Chiffon Trenches, which is out in September.

Talley explains it was one of the reasons he and Lagerfeld became friends for decades – they had both suffered ‘abuse’ in their childhoods.

The 70-year-old opens up about his friendship with Lagerfeld in his new memoir about his ascent from a humble family in the Jim Crow South to the top of the fashion world. 

When Karl Lagerfeld was young his mother strapped him in bed with leather restraints to stop him from eating at night, Vogue’s former editor-at-large has revealed in his new memoir obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com

Andre Leon Talley said the late designer admitted his mother took extreme measures to curb his diet and when he was eight years old his mother told him: 'You look like an old d**e'. Pictured: Lagerfeld during his childhood in Germany

Andre Leon Talley said the late designer admitted his mother took extreme measures to curb his diet and when he was eight years old his mother told him: 'You look like an old d**e'

André Leon Talley said the late designer admitted his mother took extreme measures to curb his diet and when he was eight years old his mother told him: ‘You look like an old d**e’. Pictured: Lagerfeld during his childhood in Germany

Talley explains it was one of the reasons he and Lagerfeld became friends for decades - they had both suffered 'abuse' in their childhoods. The 70-year-old opens up about his friendship with Lagerfeld in his new memoir about his ascent from a humble family in the Jim Crow South to the top of the fashion world

Talley explains it was one of the reasons he and Lagerfeld became friends for decades – they had both suffered ‘abuse’ in their childhoods. The 70-year-old opens up about his friendship with Lagerfeld in his new memoir about his ascent from a humble family in the Jim Crow South to the top of the fashion world

Talley revealed Lagerfeld lost 92lbs in 13 months in 2001 following what he called the ‘Spoonlight Program’ which was low fat, low calorie foods like fish and vegetables – washed down with lots of his beloved Diet Coke.

Before his death last year aged 85, the German said the diet was a ‘kind of punishment’, comments which Talley’s claims put into a new light.

Talley first met Lagerfeld in 1975 when he interviewed him for Interview magazine.

They bonded over their shared love of 18th century French high fashion and afterwards they had high tea together.

Another time she said to her son: 'You look like me, but not as good', Talley writes in his upcoming memoir The Chiffon Trenches , which is out in September

Another time she said to her son: ‘You look like me, but not as good’, Talley writes in his upcoming memoir The Chiffon Trenches , which is out in September

Then the designer surprised Talley by inviting him into the bedroom, opened his suitcases and handed him some silk crepe de chine shirts in kelly green and pink peony, each with a matching scarf.

Lagerfeld said: ‘Take this. It will look good on you. Take that. I am tired of these shirts! You should have them’.

Talley says there was ‘a way I could talk to Karl that no one else could’.

Lagerfeld grew to trust Talley so much that he would sometimes even make changes to his collection based on his suggestions.

Talley’s memoir is filled with revealing anecdotes of decades of celebrities including from Talley’s days at Interview magazine where he got to know Andy Warhol.

He writes author Fran Lebowitz would stop by to collect her mail and Catherine Guinness, of the beer family, came in to talk about a piece she was working on about the underworld of S&M with her gay friends.

Talley was promoted to fashion editor where he met Bianca Jagger and once picked her up at the Pierre Hotel while Mick Jagger was asleep in bed – they tiptoed past him.

Through Warhol, Talley met celebrities such as Caroline of Monaco, Grace Jones and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Talley says Warhol could be ‘naughty’ and ‘vicious’, but never to him.

Talley says Warhol could be 'naughty' and 'vicious', but never to him. Pictured: Talley and Warhol in New York in 1981

Talley says Warhol could be ‘naughty’ and ‘vicious’, but never to him. Pictured: Talley and Warhol in New York in 1981

Talley writes: 'From time to time he would put his pale white hands in my crotch' (always in public, never in private) and I would just swat him away, the way I did annoying flies in the summer on my front porch in the South.' Pictured: Talley, Steve Rubell and Warhol in 1981

Talley writes: ‘From time to time he would put his pale white hands in my crotch’ (always in public, never in private) and I would just swat him away, the way I did annoying flies in the summer on my front porch in the South.’ Pictured: Talley, Steve Rubell and Warhol in 1981

He writes: ‘From time to time he would put his pale white hands in my crotch’ (always in public, never in private) and I would just swat him away, the way I did annoying flies in the summer on my front porch in the South.’

When Talley moved to Women’s Wear Daily magazine, he became friends with shoe designer Manolo Blahnik after a party at Fire Island, New York, where somebody spiked the punch with something that made them laugh for 14 hours straight.

They took a long walk on the beach and found their way into the woods where they saw a group of men masturbating together wearing leather chaps and nothing else.

On another wild night out with Warhol and famed ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev they went to a gay club where a man in crotchless leather pants next to him began to rub his arm from the elbow to the wrist.

Talley asked Nureyev what the man wanted, and Nureyev replied: ‘He is trying to seduce you. He wants you to fist him in the back room’. Talley ‘shrieked and ran out the door’.

Studio 54 was more Talley’s scene and he danced with Blahnik, Loulou de la Falaise – the muse of Yves Saint Laurent – and Diana Ross who he once dipped within an inch of the parquet floor.

When Talley was posted to Paris as Vogue’s editor in France, he got so close to Lagerfeld that the designer opened up about his childhood. 

Studio 54 was more Talley's scene and he danced with Blahnik, Loulou de la Falaise - the muse of Yves Saint Laurent - and Diana Ross who he once dipped within an inch of the parquet floor

Studio 54 was more Talley's scene and he danced with Blahnik, Loulou de la Falaise - the muse of Yves Saint Laurent - and Diana Ross who he once dipped within an inch of the parquet floor

Studio 54 was more Talley’s scene and he danced with Blahnik, Loulou de la Falaise – the muse of Yves Saint Laurent – and Diana Ross who he once dipped within an inch of the parquet floor. Pictured: Talley dancing with Ross

Pictured: Ross in a full ruffled skirt dancing with Andre Leon Talley at a New Year's Eve party at Studio 54 in New York New Year's Eve at Studio 54, New York

Pictured: Ross in a full ruffled skirt dancing with Andre Leon Talley at a New Year’s Eve party at Studio 54 in New York New Year’s Eve at Studio 54, New York

Talley says he and Lagerfeld ‘both loved and lusted for luxury in all forms’ and both found ‘inspiration’ in classic cinema.

Largerfeld’s mother Elisabeth indulged him in this aspect and let him skip grade school and instructed their driver to take him to the theater where he would watch movies all day.

Talley had his own weight battle that got out of control when he lost his grandmother and a very close friend in quick succession. It became a lifelong struggle he never fully won.

Lagerfeld had spent much of his career wolfing down cold frankfurter sausages at night straight out of the fridge.

But in 2001 he decided to slim down – and the weight stayed off.

In one interview Lagerfeld said of his weight loss: ‘It has to be a sort of punishment. You are a general and you have a single soldier in your army. You must give him instructions and he must carry them out. It may annoy him but he has no choice.’

Lagerfeld said he had been ‘fine’ with being overweight but he wanted to wear clothes designed by Hedi Slimane which were modeled by ‘very slim boys’.

He said: ‘There is nothing worse than looking longingly at clothes that you would like to wear but that are definitely too tight for you.’

When Talley was posted to Paris as Vogue's editor in France, he got so close to Lagerfeld that the designer opened up about his childhood. Talley says he and Lagerfeld 'both loved and lusted for luxury in all forms' and both found 'inspiration' in classic cinema. Pictured: Talley and Lagerfeld in 1976

When Talley was posted to Paris as Vogue’s editor in France, he got so close to Lagerfeld that the designer opened up about his childhood. Talley says he and Lagerfeld ‘both loved and lusted for luxury in all forms’ and both found ‘inspiration’ in classic cinema. Pictured: Talley and Lagerfeld in 1976 

Lagerfeld (pictured with Talley in 2007) said he had been 'fine' with being overweight but he wanted to wear clothes designed by Hedi Slimane which were modeled by 'very slim boys'

Lagerfeld (pictured with Talley in 2007) said he had been ‘fine’ with being overweight but he wanted to wear clothes designed by Hedi Slimane which were modeled by ‘very slim boys’

Life in Paris was hectic for Talley and a photo shoot with then up and coming actor Antonio Banderas was scrapped when photographer Helmut Newton posed him as if he was snorting cocaine off a mirror while wearing a gold Versace swimsuit – Vogue editor Anna Wintour was horrified.

Talley first met designer John Galliano in 1993 in Paris where he found him sitting on the floor heating up cans of food over a Bunsen burner.

Behind him was a mannequin with a stunning ball gown that Talley knew was going to make him a star.

After his financial backer pulled out Talley and Vogue connected him with a new one and helped launch his career.

Several years later, Galliano gave him his CBE medal, which had been presented to him by Queen Elizabeth in his native England, as a thank you.

On another occasion at a lunch for Kay Graham, the former publisher of the Washington Post, Talley found himself sat next to Diana, Princess of Wales.

She kept asking him: ‘Lettuce and Diet Coke?’ and only after a few minutes did he realize she was asking if that was all that models ate.

Later in the lunch, Talley knocked Diana’s red wine glass into her lap. The room gasped – she was wearing a lavender Versace suit – but she brushed it aside and said: ‘It’s nothing.’ 

On another occasion at a lunch for Kay Graham, the former publisher of the Washington Post, Talley found himself sat next to Diana, Princess of Wales. She kept asking him: 'Lettuce and Diet Coke?' and only after a few minutes did he realize she was asking if that was all that models ate. Later in the lunch, Talley knocked Diana's red wine glass into her lap but she brushed it aside and said: 'It's nothing'

On another occasion at a lunch for Kay Graham, the former publisher of the Washington Post, Talley found himself sat next to Diana, Princess of Wales. She kept asking him: ‘Lettuce and Diet Coke?’ and only after a few minutes did he realize she was asking if that was all that models ate. Later in the lunch, Talley knocked Diana’s red wine glass into her lap but she brushed it aside and said: ‘It’s nothing’

Talley first met designer John Galliano in 1993 in Paris where he found him sitting on the floor heating up cans of food over a Bunsen burner. Behind him was a mannequin with a stunning ball gown that Talley knew was going to make him a star. After his financial backer pulled out Talley and Vogue connected him with a new one and helped launch his career

Talley first met designer John Galliano in 1993 in Paris where he found him sitting on the floor heating up cans of food over a Bunsen burner. Behind him was a mannequin with a stunning ball gown that Talley knew was going to make him a star. After his financial backer pulled out Talley and Vogue connected him with a new one and helped launch his career

Talley fell out with Lagerfeld when he suggested a joint exhibition of his works and photographer Deborah Turbeville.

Talley now realizes that Lagerfeld’s ‘ego wouldn’t let him support another artist in the realm of photography’. Lagerfeld had shot two decades of Chanel’s images.

He writes it was a ‘colossal blunder’ and to make matters worse, he did it in front of Lagerfeld’s new group of friends.

Lagerfeld never reached out to him again and Talley was removed from the guest list for Chanel shows – he was banished like so many others had been from his orbit.

Such harshness was common in the world of fashion, Talley says.

When Tom Ford became creative director of YSL, he drew jealousy and scorn from Yves Saint Laurent himself.

Ford told Talley he still has some ‘terrible’ handwritten letters from the legendary French designer.

After one show Saint Laurent supposedly said to Ford: ‘In 13 minutes you have managed to destroy 40 years of my work’.

Ford said they were the ‘meanest and most vicious letters he has ever received.’ 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk