Karl Lagerfeld, the iconic couturier and fashion designer who has dominated the fashion industry for the past 50 years has died. Born into an affluent family in Hamburg, Germany, Karl moved to Paris at the age of 14 with his parents. His fashion career began in 1954 after winning a contest by the International Wool Secretariat for a coat he designed. His rival, Yves Saint Laurent, won that year’s contest in the dress category. Lagerfeld started his apprenticeship at Balmain and was hired at Patou in 1959 as their artistic director. After working a series of jobs with various labels including Fendi in 1965, Lagerfeld took over at Chloe.
In 1983 he took over the sleeping giant Chanel, many years following founder Coco Chanel’s death. His high-end designs slowly trickled down to low-end retailers giving him more exposure on a global scale. He started his own label but was less successful than his other business ventures and was known for his” shape-shifter’ designs. Karl Lagerfeld was also a film director and debuted his short film, The Return in 2013. As much as he loved the public eye, Karl Lagerfeld led a very private and obscure life. The fashion world will miss him.
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