Karl Lagerfeld thinks young designers have “ego problems”.

The 81-year-old fashion legend – who juggles his self-titled line with his work for Chanel and Fendi, as well as his passions for photography, interior design and political cartoon drawing – insists he “detaches” himself from each project and says the secret of his success is not caring.

He said: “Most of the designers, especially the young ones, have ego problems. I couldn’t care less. The label is the label and I try what I can do.

“If you’re not detached you mess everything up. You have to be detached. When I do the shoes I don’t think about anything else…

“If I feel like I am on the wrong track, or they do not see things the way I see them, then I forget about it. I lose interest. It can be my name; it can be everything. I don’t care about my name.”

The outspoken designer also admitted he rarely receives visitors at his home, nor does he want to as it is all set up for functional purposes.

Speaking to website Business of Fashion, he said: “The place where I live is like a huge studio with only books, a bathroom, a bedroom, a huge dressing room and a tiny kitchen. Nobody comes there and I don’t want people to come there. It’s not for entertaining. It’s only for me and the famous Choupette. I get up early and I sketch and I’m perfectly happy and enchanted by this kind of life.”