The New York Times Magazine has a fantastic story up today about a male model named Brad Kroenig, who has been a muse and (platonic) companion to legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld for over a decade. The story follows Kroenig, pictured above, and Lagerfeld to a runway show in Dubai, and provides us with utterly incredible Lagerfeld quotes and anecdotes along the way.

For instance, here is Lagerfeld succinctly explaining why he travels with a small group of young, extremely attractive male models:

"I hate ugly people," Lagerfeld told me. "Very depressing."

(Same.)

At one point in the story, writer Irina Aleksander, Lagerfeld, Kroenig and Kroenig's young son Hudson—a Lagerfeld model himself—meet at an airport to take a private plane to Dubai. Lagerfeld arrived in good spirits but was quickly deflated by the size of the private jets splayed out across the runway.

"Hello!" Lagerfeld said. He glanced at the field of small planes and frowned.

In the back of the private plane, a bed had been arranged for Lagerfeld. When Hudson, Kroenig's five year old son, noticed Lagerfeld's bed, he asked where he was going to be allowed to sleep. To that question, Lagerfeld responded:

"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."

At a lunch the day after, Lagerfeld gave Hudson a printer for his Polaroid camera. Lagerfeld has one too, and according to Aleksander, he printed a photo of his Siamese cat while Hudson printed one of his own face.

That prompted Lagerfeld to deliver the following statement about selfies, the greatness of which you must acknowledge even if you disagree:

"I hate selfies," Lagerfeld said. "Don't use your film for ugly purpose."

When Aleksander describes Kroenig's house, we are reminded of one of Karl Lagerfeld's best-known eccentricities:

A fax machine sits in the corner — until a few years ago, Lagerfeld communicated with friends only by fax

Later in the story, we're set in a room where Lagerfeld is overseeing fitting for the clothes Hudson will model on the runway.

This scene is just perfect:

Lagerfeld presided at a table at the far end of the room. When Hudson was sent out in a long white tunic and pointed Aladdin-like shoes, Lagerfeld leapt out of his seat.

"Ah, our little prince!" Lagerfeld said. "But I think he needs much more diamonds."

Don't we all?

[image via Models.com]