Paris Hilton stars in a Karl Lagerfeld campaign for the third consecutive season, this time alongside Kit Butler and new digital character NOT-KARL.
Paris Hilton and Karl Lagerfeld are bringing their worlds together once again. The entrepreneur and pop culture figure stars in the brand’s new Autumn Winter 2026 campaign, extending a partnership that now spans three consecutive seasons and introducing an unexpected new element: NOT-KARL, a digital character inspired by the unmistakable world of the German designer.
The campaign continues to develop the From Paris With Love concept, which the house uses to connect its aesthetic heritage with Hilton’s personality. Following her appearances in Autumn Winter 2025 and Spring Summer 2026, the American star returns alongside model Kit Butler, while the introduction of NOT-KARL brings a new technological and narrative dimension to the project.
For the first time, Matt Easton photographs Paris Hilton for Karl Lagerfeld. The images retain the sophisticated and irreverent character that has defined the collaboration, while introducing different visual devices to create a dialogue between the physical and digital worlds.
That is where NOT-KARL comes in. The character appears through a series of retro multi-screen televisions positioned throughout the campaign sets. His appearance features recognisable references to Karl Lagerfeld, although the intention does not appear to be to recreate the late designer literally, but rather to build a distinctive personality around some of the codes that defined his image.
The result introduces humour, provocation and a touch of surrealism into the production. NOT-KARL observes, intervenes and establishes an unusual visual relationship with Hilton, becoming more than simply a one-off device created for the photographs.
In fact, Karl Lagerfeld plans to develop the digital character beyond Autumn Winter 2026. This campaign serves as his official introduction and the beginning of a narrative that could expand into new formats, content and brand experiences.
The decision reflects how major fashion houses continue to explore the possibilities of digital characters in fashion, particularly when they offer new ways to reinterpret archives and historic legacies without relying exclusively on conventional campaigns.
Karl Lagerfeld CEO Pier Paolo Righi has highlighted the energy, authenticity and individuality that Paris Hilton brought to her previous two collaborations. Continuing that relationship while introducing NOT-KARL gives the company an opportunity to experiment with new creative tools without abandoning the perspective still associated with the designer’s legacy.
Hilton has also celebrated the evolution of the partnership. For the entrepreneur, each campaign she has created with the brand has represented a different moment, while the team has continued to find new ways of connecting her personality with the Karl Lagerfeld universe.
The arrival of NOT-KARL was one of the most unexpected elements of the new project. According to Hilton, his presence during the shoot brought a different energy to the set, increasing her excitement about discovering where the collaboration could go next.
The choice of Paris Hilton remains particularly significant. Having become one of the defining symbols of early-2000s culture, she has successfully reshaped her image over the decades as an entrepreneur, DJ and global personality. That ability to play with her own identity fits naturally with the combination of sophistication and irony that the brand seeks to project.
