Fashion designer Lagerfeld dead at 85
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Karl Lagerfeld once called himself “the Joan of Arc of design”
Superstar fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has died, aged 85, in Paris, French media have reported.
The German designer, who was the creative director for Chanel and Fendi, was one of the industry’s most prolific figures in the industry, and worked up until his death.
Lagerfeld also designed collections for his own brand.
The designer had been unwell for several weeks, and had missed a number of fashion shows.
Designer Henry Holland paid tribute to Lagerfeld on social media, using one of his own quotes.
Early life
He was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in 1933 in pre-war Germany. Lagerfeld changed his original surname from Lagerfeldt, because he believed it sounded “more commercial”.
He emigrated to Paris as a young teenager, and became a design assistant for Pierre Balmain, before working at Fendi and Chloe in the 1960s.
He began his long career with Chanel in 1983, a decade after Coco Chanel died.
The following year, he launched his own name label.
Lagerfeld was known for his distinctive look in his later years, regularly wearing dark suits, a pony-tail and tinted sunglasses.
Lagerfeld said of his appearance: “I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that.”
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