Fashion Designer Karl Lagerfeld Dead at 85

Karl Lagerfeld, the fashion designer and creative director of Chanel, died Tuesday morning in Paris, the New York Times and French media report. He was 85. The cause of death has not been revealed, but he was known to have been struggling with illness for several months.

As well as designing clothing for pop stars such as Rihanna and Lady Gaga, Lagerfeld was himself a music obsessive. He invited artists such as Chromatics, A. G. Cook, and Hercules & Love Affair to perform at fashion shows early in their careers. In 2012, he was criticized for calling Adele “a little too fat” and forced to issue an apology. That year, he invited Azealia Banks to perform at his house, starred in a music video with Snoop Dogg, and shot a Florence + the Machine single cover photo. He later directed Pharrell in a promotional video for Chanel. Lagerfeld continued designing until near the time of his death.