FASHION'S MOST FAMOUS FELINE

Private jets, opulent parties and celebrity friends... Karl Lagerfeld's equally iconic cat, Choupette, has lived a life as lavish as any A-lister

- ISABELLE DE COURSON

With her piercing blue eyes and perfectly coiffed fur, Choupette — fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld's beloved Birman cat, who reportedly inherited a portion of his $300-million-plus fortune and has lived a life as luxurious as any movie star — is more than accustomed to being the centre of attention.

After all, she has modelled alongside A-listers – think Naomi Campbell and Kendall Jenner – and even had her own makeup line and book. And her Instagram followers? They number 271,000 – and counting! Impressive for anyone, let alone a cat.

Last year, this fabulous feline celebrated her 13th birthday at the Palace of Versailles. “She’s a princess, so taking a photo of her in front of a castle seemed appropriate to us,” says Françoise Caçote, the Chanel maestro’s former housekeeper, who has been in charge of looking after Karl’s precious pet since his death in 2019. “For presents, she received lots of toys, little gifts and, above all, a lot of love.”

We're meeting Françoise for this exclusive Hello! photoshoot in the Parisian apartment she shares with her husband and children, their rescue cat, Siana, and Choupette. “We're very selective about the shoots we do,” she says.

“Choupette has always had the character of a princess and, unfortunately, as she gets older, it doesn’t get any better! But once she gets back to her little comforts, her little habits, it’s all in the past and everything is fine.

“She’s in great shape,” Françoise adds, smiling proudly as Choupette works the camera. “She's almost 14, but she’s not bad at all.”

Françoise, how would you describe Choupette?