Behind the dark glasses:

The world of Karl Lagerfeld

"My job is to put in people's brain the idea what Chanel was all about, even if it was not about such a large choice of things... I pushed [Coco Chanel's] symbol, like the change of pearls, in a way much more than she did herself. I could play with everything and mix it with everything that's going on in fashion because fashion is about that. It's not retrospective, it has to be something you want to wear now," he said.

As for the notoriously harsh world of fashion, Lagerfeld sees it merely as a reflection of the way the world works.

"This is a world with no pity or that you can complain, 'I couldn't do it because things are against me.' No, things are against nobody, if you have something to offer, or if you can be something," he said.

"If you want to be successful in the fashion world, as well as the movie world and music world, it's something else that you need, but you cannot decide that you have it. It's up to you to sew it, but it's up to the others to use it. In a way it's the worst of worlds, but if you made in the world, it's beyond pleasant."

Confident and unabashed Lagerfeld is looking forward to more creative inspiration and hard work. His contracts with Chanel and Fendi are for life.

"Chanel died doing her last collection in her 90s, so I have time. I don't think like this. It's my projection, always six months, six months, six months. I don't know. People laugh at me to disappear but I'm not ready for that one.

"I am born for the battlefield. Competition is healthy you know. Some people would like the idea of no competition so they can keep the position for the rest of their lives, but no, there has to be a kind of danger all the time. I think it's very healthy, it makes you better."