Karl Lagerfeld loves the smell of construction sites, hates people who can't be alone, and he won't fly without the cushion his nanny made for him nestled on his stomach. He's pro-prostitution, one of his favorite art supplies is Wite-Out and he doesn't believe in reincarnation.

He's one of the most important fashion designers of our day, but more than that, he's a fascinating character, as evidenced by Rodolphe Marconi's terrific documentary "Lagerfeld Confidential," which has its U.S. television debut Monday night on the Sundance Channel. The doc kicks off a week of fashion programming leading up to the next round of runway shows in New York. Other films include "Ralph Rucci: A Designer and His House" (Wednesday) and "Jack Taylor of Beverly Hills" (Thursday).

Filmed over the course of three years, "Lagerfeld Confidential" offers a sunglasses-off portrait of the designer, who took over Chanel in 1982, following him through his cluttered Paris apartment -- where bowls overflow with silver jewelry and drawers overflow with his signature crisp white collars -- to a photo shoot with Nicole Kidman and onto a private plane to Monte Carlo.

He's more of a dreamer than a designer, admitting that he couldn't make the things he sketches. Sometimes, but rarely, the idea for an entire collection, sets and all, comes to him. But it's not exactly clear from the film how his creative process works.