The legendary director of iconic French fashion house Chanel and fur and leather goods house Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld, has died at the age of 85.
According to Sky News, the influential designer was admitted to the American Hospital in Paris on Monday and passed away on Tuesday morning.
Born in Hamburg, Germany, Lagerfeld is assumed to have been born on September 10, 1933, but this has never been confirmed. Renowned and praised for his constant reinvention, Lagerfeld removed the ‘t’ from his last name, which was originally ‘Lagerfeldt’.
Karl’s father, Christian, made his fortune by bringing condensed milk to Germany, while his mother Elizabeth was an accomplished violin player.
Lagerfeld expressed an interest in design and fashion from a young age, and often cut pictures out of fashion magazines. He was known to be highly critical of what his peers wore to school, immersing himself in the world and style of high fashion.
His first commercial success came when he began his work at iconic fashion house, Fendi in 1965.
He launched Chloe in 1975 and became Director of the House of Chanel.
Lagerfeld also helped fashion retailing giant, H&M launch its first capsule collection in 2004.
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A walk in the forest for the finale of the #CHANELFallWinter 2018/19 show. #PFW
Picture: Instagram