Karl Lagerfeld had been at the creative helm of Chanel since 1983 and had been designing for Fendi since 1965. He also designed collections for his own brand.Â
Lagerfeld was born Karl Otto Lagerfeld in pre-war Germany. He changed his name because he believed Lagerfeld sounded "more commercial".
The designer emigrated to Paris as a teenager and became a design assistant for Pierre Balmain.
He began his career with Chanel in 1983, a decade after Coco Chanel died. In 1984 he launched his own name label.
He cut a striking figure wearing a distinctive ensemble of crisp white, high-collared shirts with black tailored jacket and jeans, punctuated with a tie, shades, fingerless gloves, and black boots.
"I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that. It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long," he once said of his signature look.
Lagerfeld also transformed the catwalk. For the Chanel AW14 show in Paris, it became a high-end supermarket.
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Credit: BBC
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