Fashion and Paris will never be the same. Designer Karl Lagerfeld has died at age 85, his official Instagram page confirmed. "The House of KARL LAGERFELD shares, with deep emotion and sadness, the passing of its creative director, Karl Lagerfeld, on February 19, 2019, in Paris, France," the post said.
The German designer is an icon in the fashion industry, known for his role as creative director of legacy brands Chanel and Fendi for the past two decades, and for his distinguished appearance: black sunglasses, silver hair pulled back into a ponytail, and an impeccably tailored black-and-white suit.
His impact on the industry is immeasurable.
At Chanel, where he had been designing since 1983, his extravagant fashion shows became the most anticipated shows of Paris Fashion Week. Chanel runways have been: shopping markets, data centers, space-launch pads, beaches, airplanes, dollhouses, and more. He modernized Chanel while maintaining its legacy as one of the most sought after brands in the world.
Since 1965, Lagerfeld worked with Fendi, as the designer of collections and their iconic logo. The double F, or the Zucca print, was drawn by the designer “in three seconds,” he recalled in a documentary about his life. Now, it can be seen everywhere and on everyone from Carrie Bradshaw to Kylie Jenner.
On social media, many friends and fans of the brand have expressed their condolences, remarking on Lagerfeld's legacy in the fashion industry and beyond.
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Shortly after the news of his death became public, Chanel announced that Virginie Viard, the former director of the brand's fashion studio, would be replacing Lagerfeld as Creative Director. In a post on their official Instagram page, the brand wrote, "Virginie Viard, Director of CHANEL’s Fashion Creation Studio and Karl Lagerfeld’s closest collaborator for more than 30 years, has been entrusted by Alain Wertheimer with the creative work for the collections, so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on."
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This story has been updated 2/19/2019 11:30 AM.
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