The German fashion designer, known for his special aesthetic, his white ponytail with dark sunglasses, Karl Lagerfeld.
Lagerfeld was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in Hamburg, Germany, on September 10, 1933. He grew up in a wealthy home, and From an early age, he expressed an interest in fashion.
After moving to Paris in 1952, Lagerfeld started working in many fashion houses. In 1995, he was hired by Pierre Balmain; three years later, he became artistic director of Jean Patou’s fashion house. In the ‘60s, Lagerfeld moved to Italy to study art history, and soon he started as a freelancer with many companies like Chloé, Valentino, and Charles Jourdan.
“That is the secret of the story. First of all, I prefer not to analyze why or why not. I have the feeling that when I am doing Fendi I am another person to when I am doing Chanel or my own line. I have no personality. I have three. I never ask myself questions. I try to find answers. It’s a very pretentious line, no? I am in a way like a machine. I have electronic flashes; it’s true.” Lagerfeld said.
In 1965, he was hired as a consultant director by Fendi, where he started getting more famous, and by 1983 Lagerfeld was ready to produce his first couture collection for Chanel; then, just one year later, he launched his own label, which he sold in 2005 to Tommy Hilfiger.
Lagerfeld was also a photographer; from 1987 on, he photographed many of Chanel’s fashion advertisements, and his work was published in fashion magazines such as British Vogue and Interview.
He was also a talented illustrator, creating illustrations for an edition of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Emperor’s New Clothes, and created costumes for La Scala in Milan, the Florence opera house, and the Monte Carlo Ballet.
Hun Kim, Creative Director of the Maison KARL LAGERFELD, said, “Throughout my career I’ve worked with many designers, but most of them didn’t know how to sketch, which is one of the reasons why Karl and I become close. Karl said, ‘I don’t understand people who design without first sketching their ideas.’ It was very inspiring for me, and we had an immediate click.”
In 2004, Lagerfeld collaborated with H&M in a limited-edition clothing line, then in 2010 he collaborated with Steidl publishing house to launch the L.S.D. imprint, with literature, biographies, and books on fashion, art, and music.
Lagerfeld was always active and maintained a busy schedule. In 2011, he designed a line of glassware for the Swedish company Orrefors and a clothing collection for Macy’s. In 2015, he opened his first Karl Lagerfeld store in Qatar.
“What I can say today is that you always have to think that you can do better, that you have to make an effort. I’m never completely satisfied with what I do. I always think about the next and want to do more, because I think I can do better and improve. That’s how I think about myself,” he once said.
In 2019, Lagerfeld said he’d been feeling tired. Days later, on February 19, it was announced that he had passed away in Paris.
“We are deeply saddened to learn the news of Karl Lagerfeld’s passing today. His unrivaled contribution to the fashion industry changed the way women dress and perceive fashion. He inspired generations of young designers and will continue to do so.” British Fashion Council Chief Executive Caroline Rush said.
Lagerfeld left a big part of his fortune to his cat, Choupette. “She has her own little fortune, she is an heiress: If something happens to me, the person who will take care of it will not be in misery,” Lagerfeld said before his death, as reported by CBS News.
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