Legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld dies at 85

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‍Legendary fashion designer and Chanel icon Karl Lagerfeld died at age 85 in Paris, Paris Match magazine reported.

According to the report, Lagerfeld died on Tuesday morning but the cause of his death is currently unknown.

Lagerfeld had missed several fashion shows, including a haute couture show in January and was believed to have been unwell for two weeks before his death.

Early life

Karl Lagerfeld with his recognizable outfit. /AFP Photo

Born in pre-war Germany, Karl Otto Lagerfeldt changed his surname to Lagerfeld and moved to Paris as a teenager in 1955 to start a career as a design assistant for Pierre Balmain. He then worked at Fendi and Chloe in the 1960s.

He began his record-breaking 36-year career with Chanel since 1983 and is believed to have brought new life to the label.

Lagerfeld was reported to be “working 16 hours a day and delighted to do it”, and churning out collections for LVMH's Fendi and his own label up until his death.

Distinctive look

Dark suits, white ponytailed hair, tinted sunglasses, and fingerless gloves: The distinctive look made Lagerfeld very recognizable and was part of his crafted persona.

As the man himself said, “I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that.”

Choupette's Instagram account. /Photo via Instagram.

His cat Choupette was probably the most “trendy cat” on Earth. The designer often brought it to his appearances and even based some designs on the cat. The Instagram account of Choupette set up by Lagerfeld has more than 100,000 followers.

Celebrities in mourning

Many heavyweights in the fashion industry have paid their tributes to Lagerfeld on social media.

Designer Donatella Versace paid her tribute to Lagerfeld. /Photo via Instagram

Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace posted, “Karl your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I. We will never forget your incredible talent and endless inspiration. We were always learning from you.”

Victoria Beckham, Britain's fashion designer and former singer, posted, “So incredibly sad to hear this. Karl was a genius and always so kind and generous to me both personally and professionally.”

Victoria Beckham paid her tribute to Lagerfeld. /Photo via Instagram

Italian designer Giorgio Armani described Lagerfeld as “an extraordinary man, both for his professional talent and his life, which he blended and turned into a unique art: the Lagerfeld way of being”.

Actress Keira Knightley, who starred in the campaign for Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle perfume, described him as “a legend both as a man and a creative force”.

The issue of successor sets aside for the moment

Commemorating the brand's artistic director, Chanel chief executive Alain Wertheimer said in a statement, “Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House of Chanel's success throughout the world.”

Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld appears with models at end of his spring-summer ready-to-wear fashion show in Paris, France, October 10, 2003. / Reuters Photo

According to Reuters' report, Chanel said Virginie Viard, director of the house's creative studio, would take over creative work for the brand's collections. But the appointment was transitional, as report said, and that Lagerfeld's successor would be announced after the mourning period.

“With the passing of Karl Lagerfeld we have lost a creative genius who helped to make Paris the fashion capital of the world and Fendi one of the most innovative Italian houses,” LVMH chairman and chief executive Bernard Arnault said in a statement, “Fashion and culture has lost a great inspiration.”

People hold white roses as they stand outside the Chanel fashion boutique after news that German haute-couture designer Karl Lagerfeld, artistic director at Chanel and an icon of the global fashion industry for over half a century, has died, aged 85, in Paris, France, February 19, 2019. /Reuters Photo

Fendi said it would go ahead as planned with a Milan fashion show of Lagerfeld's latest line for the brand on Thursday.

“Now is not the time to discuss his succession. We intend to take the time to honor his life and pay him the tribute he deserves,” it said.

“He was one of the most influential and celebrated designers of the 21st century and an iconic, universal symbol of style,” his own Karl Lagerfeld brand wrote on Instagram, “He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as one of the greatest designers of our time.”

(With inputs from Reuters)