Fashion Icon Karl Lagerfeld Has Passed Away At 85
No one wears a a pony tail and shades better than Mr. Karl Lagerfeld. (Photo by Francois Durand/Getty Images)
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, whose talent and larger-than-life personality made him one of the industry’s best-known characters, has reportedly died at the age of 85.
Details of Karl Lagerfeld’s death are still unknown.
Lagerfeld, best known for his work at Paris fashion houses Chloe and Chanel, had apparently been suffering from failing health in the last few weeks.
The news was confirmed by Chanel, the fashion label he ran for decades and where he became a celebrity.
“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,” Alain Wertheimer, Chanel’s CEO, said in a statement. “Today, not only have I lost a friend, but we have all lost an extraordinary creative mind to whom I gave carte blanche in the early 1980s to reinvent the brand.”
Lagerfeld was loved by countless celebrities who paid tribute to him Tuesday morning.
Lagerfeld was born in Germany and began his career as an intern in Paris at fashion house Balmain. He then began working for Chloe and Fendi in the 1960s.
He became a celebrity after taking over at Chanel in the 1980s when the brand was financially suffering. He later did collections under his own name and was working as a creative director for both Fendi and Chanel up until his death. He also did collaborations with more affordable stores like H&M and Lord & Taylor.
Lagerfeld was also known for his cultural comments, which sometimes came off as harsh and critical, like calling singer Adele “a little too fat” or saying Meryl Streep was cheap.
He was also well recognized for his signature style of a dark suit and dark sunglasses. He even told the press, “I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that.”
