The only thing Karl Lagerfeld loved as much as the house of Chanel was Choupette, the Burmese cat that belonged to the creative director until his death in 2019 at the age of 85.
Since then, Françoise Caçote, the designer’s former housekeeper, has been looking after his precious pet. In a new interview with Hello! Caçote gave the fashion world (and Choupette’s 265,000-plus followers) an update on Choupette’s lavish lifestyle, which remains cushy for the cat named in Lagerfeld’s will who reportedly inherited $1.5 million.
After all, Choupette is a celebrity in her own right and, as such, is no stranger to the spotlight. Her impressive resume includes modeling alongside supermodels like Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bündchen, collaborating with the beauty brand Shu Umera and being the subject of a Rizzoli book featuring photographs taken by Largerfeld himself.
In a 2015 interview with The Cut, a proud Lagerfeld boasted that Choupette had already earned $3 million off of her modeling gigs — “Choupette did a great job,” he also told The Telegraph at the time. “Just as I would expect from a star.” When speaking to Numéro in 2018, Lagerfeld continued to gush: “She has her own little fortune, she is an heiress.” Adding, “She’s a rich girl!”
As detailed in the newest issue of Hello! Choupette continues to live a life of unparalleled luxury, which is a testament to her late owner’s deep affection. Last year, Choupette’s 13th birthday was celebrated in grand style at the Palace of Versailles. As Caçote recently told the publication, the regal setting was perfectly befitting of Choupette’s famously “princess” nature.
For the soiree, the pampered feline was queen for the day, receiving an array of gifts, including cat toys, a plush cushion and elegant porcelain bowls. Cherished remnants from her time with Lagerfeld include her original Chinese porcelain bowls, specifically chosen for their ideal nose-dipping diameter, and her mini Louis Vuitton travel bag.
Siana, a rescue cat adopted by Caçote’s daughter, has added a new dynamic to Choupette’s life. While initially apprehensive about introducing a companion, she said she believes Siana’s youthful energy has been beneficial for the mature Choupette, making her more alert.
Otherwise, she still enjoys taking long leisurely naps on piles of Chanel clothes, just as she did when daddy Lagerfeld was alive. “Her habits haven’t changed,” Caçote quipped. When she is on the go, Choupette is a “pleasurable” travel companion. “It’s an advantage that she’s been used to going from hotel to hotel with Mr. Lagerfeld,” Caçote said of the jet-set pet. After all, Choupette grew up flying (by private plane) to St. Tropez, among other luxurious destinations.
Caçote noted that she’s become mindful of limiting Choupette’s press and photo-ops, as the cat has grown older. “We’re very selective about the shoots we do,” she said on set with Hello!
“What [Lagerfeld] liked was that people talked about Choupette. It made him so happy,” Caçote recalled, “Sometimes he would even say: ‘People talk about Choupette more than they talk about me.’ I would reply: ‘You’re exaggerating a little.’ He liked to say that when he went out, the first thing people asked him was not: ‘How are you?’ but: ‘How’s Choupette?’”
No doubt the Kaiser would be proud that Choupette inherited his star power and continues to shine, from posing in the pages of magazines to taking snaps for social media and beyond.
