Karl Lagerfeld Dies at 85 Years Old

Karl Lagerfeld, one of the most prolific designers of our time, has passed away in Paris. He was 85 years old. Chanel announced the news to The New York Times. However, the cause of the designer’s death has not yet been confirmed.

Lagerfeld has had a legendary career spanning seven decades as a fashion designer and creative director. He created legacies simultaneously at the house of Chanel, and launched ready-to-wear for celebrated Italian brand Fendi, and created a his own namesake collection.

“It is with deep sadness that the house of Chanel announces the passing of Karl Lagerfeld,” the French brand said in a statement to WWD, citing Lagerfeld’s talents as a designer and photographer. “The house of Chanel benefited from his talent for all the branding campaigns related to fashion since 1987. Finally, one cannot refer to Karl Lagerfeld without mentioning his innate sense of repartee and self-mockery.”

Chanel also added that Virginie Viard, Lagerfeld’s right-hand and close collaborator for about 30 years, will take over creative work at the brand “so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on,” according to CEO Alain Wertheimer.

News of Lagerfeld’s death comes after he was noticeably absent from the Chanel haute couture shows in Paris last month. Despite rumors that Lagerfeld was in poor health, the French fashion house said he “was feeling tired” in a statement. Viard stepped in for Lagerfeld and took the final bow at the time.

The Hamburg, Germany native began his career in fashion as Pierre Balmain’s assistant in 1955. He found success at Chloé in the mid 1960’s, started designing for Fendi in 1965, and took the helm at Chanel in 1983 (about 12 years after Coco Chanel died in 1971).

When he took the job at Chanel, the brand was reportedly on its way out. “Everybody said, ‘Don’t touch it, it’s dead, it will never come back.’ But by then I thought it was a challenge,” he told The New Yorker.

Lagerfeld is credited with modernizing the legendary French brand, glamorizing its tweed suits and helping it appeal to a younger audience. During his tenure, faces of Chanel included It girls like Cara Delevingne, Lily-Rose Depp (daughter of Vanessa Paradis and Johnny Depp), and Kaia Gerber (Cindy Crawford’s daughter).

“Yes, the old Coco would have been shocked by a lot of things I did,” Lagerfeld told Harper’s BAZAAR in 2013, the year of Chanel’s 100th anniversary. “But I had to do it, to keep the label in time with the times. Without it, Chanel would not be modern.”

In addition to his designs and sharp humor, Lagerfeld was known for his iconic look: a low ponytail, oversized sunglasses, and a black and white suit. “I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that,” the designer has said, according to The New York Times. “It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long.”

This post has been updated.

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