In Metamorphoses of an American, Karl Lagerfeld documents the physical and emotional development of Brad Kroenig, the world's most sought-after male model, ranked number one at models.com at the time of this printing. Lagerfeld discovered Kroenig in 2003, making his first photographs of the young man in Biarritz; since then, he has diligently observed Kroenig through the photographic lens, month by month. Since the time of this first Lagerfeld photo shoot, Kroenig has … mehrbeen featured in almost every major designer's advertising campaign and/or fashion shows--including Lagerfeld, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Justin Cavalli, Perry Ellis and Fendi--and on almost every fashion magazine cover. In this volume, through hundreds of photographs taken inside and outside the world of fashion, Lagerfeld explores Kroenig's evolution from a young "All-American Boy" into a professional model, a man conscious of the subtleties of facial and corporeal expression. However, these photographs are not simply documentation; rather, Lagerfeld and Kroenig always work together to create a new persona, one which Kroenig projects without losing a sense of his own self. Lagerfeld selects a spectrum of literary and cultural references for Kroenig to interpret: we see him as James Dean, as Rudolph Valentino, as a Gatsby-like figure from F. Scott Fitzgerald, and as Lieutenant Pinkerton from Puccini's Madame Butterfly. Throughout these transformations, one never has the sense that Kroenig is merely acting; instead he presents newly discovered aspects of himself through the guises of other characters. weniger