The New York Times did a profile of model Brad Kroenig and I don’t want to go overboard or anything, but it’s possibly one of the best profiles I’ve ever read. Brad Kroenig is one of Karl Lagerfeld’s muses, and at one time Kroenig was ranked as the #1 male model in the world. Brad is getting a little bit long in the tooth (he’s 35) but he still works consistently thanks to Karl Lagerfeld. Brad is married with two sons, and his 5-year-old son Hudson also models for Karl (Karl is Hudson’s godfather). This NYT profile includes quotes from Hudson, Brad and Karl and it’s just… amazing. There’s way too much funny stuff and interesting details about the modeling world to even cull into this post, so I would really just suggest that you read it – go here. Some highlights:

Why Karl wants Brad as part of his entourage: “I hate ugly people,” Lagerfeld told me. “Very depressing.”

How Karl dress: A white shirt with a high Edwardian collar, fingerless leather gloves, a strict black blazer and sunglasses. A diamond cat brooch was pinned to his tie, and his tight black pants were covered in a microprint of his own likeness, which ran up and down the leg and, from far away, looked like a thick pinstripe.

How Karl travels on his private plane: Inside, a wineglass of Diet Coke awaited him at his seat. At the back of the aircraft was a single bed made up with crisp white linens. “But where am I going to sleep?” Hudson asked. “You sleep on your seat, darling,” Lagerfeld replied in his heavy German accent. “I have to arrive fresh, you don’t have to. Don’t be selfish.”

Brad on becoming Karl’s muse: “The photographer has to be into the subject he’s shooting. It’s like if you’re a basketball coach, you have to be into LeBron James and think he’s great, or you wouldn’t put him in the game. The models that are uncomfortable just don’t make it. Why not get naked in the shower and have million-dollar jewelry on me?”

Karl on his cadre of “boys”, Jake Davies, Baptiste Giabiconi and Brad: “I don’t give labels for it. Labels is something I design for, they’re not what I give to persons. I see them like family. I have no family at all, so it’s good to have, like, sons but without the unpleasant problems sons can create. It’s a choice, it’s not an obligation. There’s a big difference. I have a sister in America who I haven’t seen for 40 years. Her children never even send me a Christmas card.”

On selfies: Lagerfeld had been toting around a small Polaroid printer and gave an identical one to Hudson. During the lunch, he occasionally shifted away from Pavlovsky to exchange Polaroids with Hudson. Lagerfeld printed a photo of his pet siamese cat, Choupette. Hudson printed a selfie. “I hate selfies,” Lagerfeld said. “Don’t use your film for ugly purpose.”

Lagerfeld told me: “Brad has a lot of energy, and he is fun. He gives good vibes.” He later added: “In a way Brad, he’s, how could I say? He has the manner of a boy or a child.”

Lagerfeld used to only communicate via fax, but now he loves iPhones: Karl and Brad speak on Sundays and exchange texts. “We’ll text him photos of the kids, he’ll text us photos of Choupette,” Nicole [Brad’s wife] says.

Karl adores his godson: Lagerfeld has become enamored with Hudson, giving him gifts (books, clothes, pint-size Fendi purses) and shooting him almost as much as he does his adult muses. “Karl is fascinated by being so close to a young mind,” Amanda Harlech told me. “It’s very new for Karl.”

[From The NYT]

As I said, there’s SO MUCH more. Brad comes across as a guy clinging to the idea that he’s still a major model, but I don’t mean that in a bad way. I mean, it’s his living and as long as Karl still wants him around, Brad will always work. And it also sounds like Brad asked Karl to be Hudson’s godfather just to connect them even further. But then again, Karl didn’t have to agree to it and he obviously adores his godson very much. Despite Karl’s history of making derogatory comments about children and parenthood, I kind of think Karl really does enjoy having young people around. He just prefers to be the older, jaded one and he likes being around young adults, children or people with childlike demeanors. That being said, I kind of love anyone who tells a child “Don’t be selfish, darling.”

Photos courtesy of Getty and WENN.