Legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld has died at the age of 85. He worked tirelessly throughout his career, and speculation about his health was fuelled when, for the first time ever, the Chanel creative director didn't attend the brand’s spring 2019 Haute Couture show, held in Paris on 22 January. He had been at the helm of Chanel since 1983.
Lagerfeld worked for Pierre Balmain from 1955-58, before moving on to work with notable brands such as Chloé and Fendi, where he created the celebrated double-F logo. He joined Fendi as creative director in 1965 and launched his eponymous brand in 1984. He was known as Kaiser – meaning emperor – by the team at Chanel, a name that refers to his German roots.
In 2010 Lagerfeld was awarded the Commandeur de la Légion d’honneur – one of the highest French orders of merit – by then-president Nicolas Sarkozy, for his contributions to the country. Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg on the 10 September 1933. He leaves behind his beloved cat Choupette.