Fashion Personalities Pay Tribute to Karl Lagerfeld
PARIS — Tributes from leading fashion personalities poured in after the death of Karl Lagerfeld in Paris at the age of 85.
Alain Wertheimer, chief executive officer, Chanel:
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“Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the house of Chanel’s success throughout the world. Today, not only have I lost a friend, but we have all lost an extraordinary creative mind to whom I gave carte blanche in the early Eighties to reinvent the brand.”
Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion, Chanel:
“Fashion show after fashion show, collection after collection, Karl Lagerfeld left his mark on the legend of Gabrielle Chanel and the history of the house of Chanel. He steadfastly promoted the talent and expertise of Chanel’s ateliers and Métiers d’Art, allowing this exceptional knowhow to shine throughout the world. The greatest tribute we can pay today is to continue to follow the path he traced by — to quote Karl — ‘continuing to embrace the present and invent the future.’”
Bernard Arnault, chairman and ceo, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton:
“With the passing of Karl Lagerfeld we have lost a creative genius who helped to make Paris the fashion capital of the world and Fendi one of the most innovative Italian houses. We owe him a great deal: his taste and talent were the most exceptional I have ever known. Artistic director of Jean Patou in 1959, creator of Fendi since 1965, member of the LVMH Prize jury since its creation in 2013, he honored the LVMH group with an extraordinarily stimulating creative and entrepreneurial friendship. I will always remember his immense imagination, his ability to conceive new trends for every season, his inexhaustible energy, the virtuosity of his drawings, his carefully guarded independence, his encyclopedic culture, and his unique wit and eloquence. The death of this dear friend deeply saddens me, my wife and my children. We loved and admired him deeply. Fashion and culture has lost a great inspiration.”
Silvia Venturini Fendi, creative director for men’s wear, accessories and kids’ wear, Fendi:
“I am profoundly saddened as today we have lost a unique man and an unrivaled designer, who has given so much to Fendi and to myself. I was only a child when I first saw Karl. Our relationship was very special, based on a deep and very genuine affection. We had a lot of mutual appreciation and endless respect. Karl Lagerfeld has been my mentor and my point of reference. A blink of an eye was enough to understand each other. For Fendi and myself, the creative genius of Karl has been and will always be our guiding light, moulding the maison’s DNA. I will miss him deeply and always carry with me the memories of our days together.”
Serge Brunschwig, chairman and ceo, Fendi:
“Working with Karl Lagerfeld at Fendi allowed me to catch a glimpse of the secret of the continuous renewal of the house. I profoundly admire Karl’s immense culture, his ability to rejuvenate at all times, to taste all the arts, to not overlook any style, along with a persistent refusal to turn to his past, to look at his work in a mirror. He was restless and his exigent nature would never leave him. The show was just ending that Karl would always say, ‘And now number next!’ He leaves us an enormous heritage, an inexhaustible source of inspiration to continue. Karl will be immensely missed by myself and all the Fendi people.”
Pier Paolo Righi, ceo of Karl Lagerfeld:
“The world has lost an icon. Karl Lagerfeld was a creative genius; he was influential, curious, powerful and passionate. He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as one of the greatest designers of our time. I feel so blessed to have had the opportunity to have known and worked with him, and there are no words to express how much he will be missed.”
Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris:
“I’m extremely saddened to hear of the passing of Karl Lagerfeld, an immense artist and a friend with a rare sensibility who dedicated his life to accompanying women in their freedom and their affirmation. Karl Lagerfeld was a genius. At the house of Chanel, he invented and reinvented with passion, rigor and excellence. His art gave shape and body to love, refinement, the mind-blowing and the marvelous. More than an incarnation of Paris, he was Paris. Everyone who knew him will remember his kindness, his generosity and the sincere attention he gave to most fragile. I thank him with all my heart and send my warmest wishes to the teams at the house of Chanel who are in mourning today.”
François-Henri Pinault, ceo of Kering:
“It’s with great sadness that I have learned of the passing of Karl Lagerfeld, a man of quality, with a lively spirit, a refined intelligence and exceptional culture. An incomparable aesthete and couturier who has transformed his profession, fashion, and the world of luxury, he is one of those people whose creativity and personality will leave an indelible mark on our times.”
Ralph Toledano, president of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode:
“We were a family. He was a great man. He was dignity, strength and courage incarnate. He was like an elder brother or a father to me. He taught me so much. I learned so much by his side.”
Diane von Furstenberg, designer:
“Karl left us as he lived…quietly, with dignity and no sentimentality. Karl was extraordinarily intelligent and a true talent. He read everything and was a most perceptive witness of history. He understood all he saw and yet always remained detached. Totally unique, he will be missed.”
Ralph Lauren, designer:
“Karl Lagerfeld was the definition of passion. It fueled both his life and his craft. His curiosity about everything from history to pop culture inspired him to dream big and create collections that captured a rare kind of imagination that had influence way beyond the world of fashion. He was the modern couturier committed to the artistry of those traditions, but always with an eye for everyday life. Karl was an inspiration, but more than that my personal friend and always a generous supporter. I think more than anything he brought a spirit to fashion that was energetic and alive, a belief in both the dream and the reality.”
Michael Kors, designer:
“Youthful curiosity, unimaginable talent, a brain that never stopped clicking and fabulous wit, Karl rewrote what it is to be a designer in the modern world. His reach was far greater than fashion. Early on he understood the connection of fashion to the culture at large and showed all of us in the fashion world to never lose your passion, energy and drive — no matter how busy and fast the fashion life has become. He will forever be an inspiration to all of us and his legacy will continue for many years to come.”
Tommy Hilfiger, designer:
“Karl Lagerfeld continuously pushed the boundaries of our industry with his unparalleled vision and creativity, infusing the traditional with pop culture and a modern perspective. I will personally miss his generosity and the unique sense of humor he brought to our partnership. He was a genius in the purest form who will forever be remembered for his unprecedented creativity and sophistication. His legacy is timeless and will never cease to inspire today and tomorrow’s generations.”
Claudia Schiffer, model:
“Karl was my magic dust, he transformed me from a shy German girl into a supermodel. He taught me about fashion, style and survival in the fashion business. What Warhol was to art, he was to fashion; he is irreplaceable. He is the only person who could make black and white colorful. I will be eternally grateful to him.”
Etta Froio, former senior vice president, executive editor and associate publisher of WWD:
“To me, Karl was the most extraordinary person in the the fashion industry. He was brilliant, he was charming, he was wonderful with people. He was just amazing. His ability to design was remarkable. I’ve never seen a boring Karl Lagerfeld show. They were always exciting and innovative. On a completely different level, Karl was an incredible person who had a great personality, great charm. With all his talent, he still was a wonderful person to speak with. He was never snooty. He was just a great, great gentleman.”
Edward Nardoza, former editor in chief of WWD:
“Karl was the authentic polymath, an original. There won’t be another like him. His presence was a jolt of electricity, a stream of ideas, cultural references high and low and lightning wit that inspired all of us who were lucky enough to have known him.
“He knew everything and always had the funniest gossip. And you could never tell him about a new writer, artist or book he hadn’t already read. I once received an early, advance copy of an obscure new translation of Rimbaud by John Ashbery. I immediately sent it to Karl, thinking I’d finally surprise him. A fax shot back: ‘I just finished reading the galleys on this yesterday! Funny, no?’”
Giorgio Armani, designer:
“I always thought Karl Lagerfeld was an extraordinary man for his talent at work and in life, which he fused and transformed in a single and unique art: being Lagerfeld. Perhaps for this reason, too, although he designed for brands with great personality, his presence has been so clear and recognizable letting transpire his pleasure in drawing, photographing, in writing books and setting up spectacular shows. I am very moved by his passing, I can’t avoid thinking that until the very last he lived immersed in his biggest pleasure: letting his imagination fly dedicating himself to his work.
“I remember him when many years ago we were together in Tokyo for a show of various international brands. I will never forget the kindness with which he welcomed me as part of this important group.”
Kenzo Takada, designer:
“Karl Lagerfeld was a genius, an endless source of inspiration. He will be remembered for his infinite generosity, forward-thinking and immeasurable knowledge.
“Karl has always been a great support, a friend that I have always admired. He was one of the most hardworking and talented men that I have ever had the chance to know. I am deeply saddened by Karl’s departure, it is a terrible loss.”
Tom Ford, designer:
“I was lucky enough to get to know Karl when I lived in Paris. During my time at Gucci and at Yves Saint Laurent we saw each other often and occasionally had dinner alone, usually at Caviar Kaspia. Karl’s zodiac sign was Virgo and we had that in common. Virgo’s tend to understand each other and I think that we clicked in a certain way. I always found him incredibly kind and thoughtful. He would take his glasses off with me at dinner and soften, and I felt so lucky that he was comfortable enough with me to do that. I mean, how many people in the world can say that they ever saw Karl’s eyes?
“Karl was obviously an incredibly talented designer, but Karl was a genius in many other ways as well. He was wonderfully wicked. His humor could be cutting but have you buckled over with laughter, as long as it was not directed at you. He always said out loud the thing that you might be thinking but were afraid to say and he would say it in such a sharp and clever way that it left you in a kind of shocked state of hysterics.
“He was smart. Very smart. His intellect and irrepressible wit made him great fun to be around. He was intense in the way that could often leave one exhausted simply from the barrage of thoughts and witticisms that constantly streamed from him.
“Karl was the first of all of us. The first ‘hired gun’ brought in to restore the luster of a tarnished fashion house. He invented the template for what has become modus operandi in fashion.
“I will miss Karl. I will miss just knowing that Karl is somewhere in the world designing and quipping as he always has. He seemed permanent. A fundamental part of fashion and of the world. It is strange that he is no longer with us. I am deeply sad that he is gone.”
Valentino Garavani, designer:
“Part of my youth went away with you.…With whom can I now laugh and remember those happy and carefree moments spent at Fiacre or Flore? Our first hopes, you at Balmain and me at Dessès….Our arrivals in Rome where I opened my first Maison de Couture and where you arrived to Tiziani, a Roman couture house. You who made me promise unsuccessfully never to withdraw. Karl, my friend, Karl genio gigantesco…my sadness is infinite…au revoir, Karl!”
Miuccia Prada, designer:
“Karl was one of the most cultivated and brilliant men and whenever we got together we always had great fun. His contribution to fashion is and will always be memorable.”
Marco Bizzarri, president and ceo of Gucci:
“With Karl Lagerfeld’s passing the industry has lost a towering figure, whose legacy is both epic and extraordinary and will inspire generations to come. Above all though, it was the pure passion and joy that he never ceased to bring to his work that defined him, along with his consummate wit and wisdom.”
Alessandro Michele, designer:
“I met Karl when I was very young and then I met him again when I was in a totally different position. He has always been extremely affectionate and kind toward me. Karl was an intelligent, sharp, kind and empathetic person. A complex man with an easy approach to things. Instead of speaking about the emptiness he leaves behind, I would like to talk about the abundance he is leaving us. He was in love with life, with humans, with beautiful things and he was always ready to have a laugh. Karl was a fresco of vitality and love for the things that surrounded him. If I think of Karl, I think of life.”
Donatella Versace, designer:
“Today the world has lost an icon and a genius. We will always remember his amazing talent, which taught us all throughout the years. We will miss you.”
Angela Missoni, designer:
“I first met Karl when I was a child, he formed a small fashion group with my mother Rosita and Anna Piaggi and ever since then I was impressed by his speed in drawing, sketching beautiful portraits incredibly fast. His extraordinary talent in my eyes made him almost extraterrestrial. As a person, he was also very fascinating and interesting. He lived in the moment, I felt he did not really like dwelling on memories, he always looked ahead.”
Renzo Rosso, founder of Diesel parent company OTB:
“I first met Karl Lagerfeld in 1999. He had just shot Diesel in one of his first photographic jobs and had expressed appreciation for the product on set so I thought ‘Why don’t we invite him to the opening of our first Paris flagship store?’ He showed up, surprising me. A few months after he reached out and said: ‘I am doing my own collection, I want to do denim for the first time and I want to do it with Diesel.’ To see the products we had done for him open his Paris show was an emotion I still remember very well. That project, dubbed Lagerfeld Gallery by Diesel, was by far the forerunner of any modern-day collaboration. That was Karl: He could only do things before the others. Fashion will miss a bright and witty mind and a unique talent, but his positivity, will and legacy will stay on forever.”
Laudomia Pucci, deputy chairman and image director of Pucci:
“Karl Lagerfeld has been a lifelong friend, and I, like many, will miss him. He was gifted with an incredible curiosity and was a very cultured man. His innate respect for iconic brands, resulted in a very personal vision: playing with fashion moments and excitement, while tapping into French grandeur with Chanel and Italian heritage with Fendi. He has taught a generation of designers with his dedication and hard work, his eyes saw every detail. He was the first designer that had more success creating a legacy for brands that didn’t carry his name. In fact, he successfully brought Chanel into the 21st century, apparently effortlessly. But this was not all, he also dedicated himself to Fendi, which lead to success. This can be seen in both his loyalty with the family, by working with Silvia, and in accomplishing a strong identity of the brand throughout the evolution of the business. A clever and witty man, quick and to the point. He always had a positive comment regarding Pucci and his passion for the brand.”
Diego Della Valle, Tod’s chairman and ceo:
“A great artist has passed away, a great man, a great professional in his working life, charismatic and forward-looking. The first time we met, beyond the obvious things, I thought Lagerfeld was a great and refined actor in his everyday life, too. He will certainly be a great example for all the younger designers, who can get excellent teachings by studying his story.”
Marco Tronchetti Provera, Pirelli executive vice chairman and ceo:
“Karl Lagerfeld was an incredibly creative and talented man. He brought an innovative vision into fashion and design becoming a true icon. He shot the ‘Mythology’ Pirelli calendar in 2011, interpreting the Ancient Greek and Roman cultures. We presented the Cal in Moscow and we had memorable days. I remember him with affection and admiration for his attention to details and the passion he put in his work.”
Carlo Capasa, chairman of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana:
“Karl Lagerfeld was an icon. He’s changed the course of fashion with his pioneering vision, his extraordinary talent and his creative genius with endless imagination. He has inspired generations and, above all, he gave us the possibility to dream, with his capability to embrace the present and invent the future. He has contributed considerably to Italian fashion being part of the Fendi family. We are very grateful to Karl Lagerfeld and we will miss him.”
Peter Dundas, designer:
“I don’t think there is any designer who didn’t look at what he did and what he said. It has been a great inspiration for all us of, his incredible career. And he was so funny and very intelligent.”
Francesco Risso, Marni creative director:
“I think his extreme kindness is one of the most memorable things about his personality. It’s incredible to think that he basically assisted to the major changes that happened in the fashion system in more than half a century. We are all very sad but today we have to work even harder to pay homage to his outstanding career.”
Valerie Steele, director of the Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology:
“Lagerfeld really initiated the era of luxury fashion companies realizing that the name had tremendous cultural capital. After Coco Chanel died in 1971, Chanel lost a lot of its prestige, which had been declining any way in the late Sixties, as she became older and more démodé. But when Lagerfeld came in in the mid-Eighties, he completely revolutionized it. He made the house super-fashionable, super-luxurious, really at the pinnacle of the fashion and luxury field. And he kept it that way until now. That not only had a tremendous effect for Chanel, but it launched an awareness among other investors that there was cultural capital locked in the historic names of fashion. They learned that you could revive houses that had once been very famous but had somewhat faded over the years after their originators had died. This idea of awakening of sleeping beauties has been central to what’s been going on in fashion for the past 30 years. It’s just rare that it happens so extraordinarily successfully.
“His work at Chanel was the most important aspect, of course, but he had his own company Karl Lagerfeld, he did amazing work at Fendi and the clothes he designed at Chloé are very collectible. He had his photography, his fashion films, his publications. When I published my first book, ‘Women in Fashion,’ back in ’91, he wrote to me to say the chapter on Chanel was correct and good. I was so thrilled. He was a voracious reader. Later I read that he would buy three copies of each book, he would keep two for libraries and one to slice up the pages that he wanted to file.”
Anthony Vaccarello, designer, who worked under Lagerfeld at Fendi:
“Karl Lagerfeld was — and always will be — an extraordinary man of culture and vibrant creativity, a symbol of strength, passion and a true icon for the world of fashion and its history.”
Audrey Marnay, model:
“The first time I met him I was 16 years old. It was at the studio Rue Cambon. He was very impressive but still managed to make me feel comfortable.
“I remember going over to his home and seeing the huge amount of books everywhere. He was always teaching me things, showing me books. He taught me a lot about art and photography.
“Of all the Chanel shows I’ve walked, the ones I preferred were the ones at the studio Rue Cambon in the late Nineties. There was a real intimacy, we could hear everything that was going on.
“Karl is eternal. He’s left such a mark that he will never really be gone.”
Olivia Palermo, influencer and multi-brand fashion collaborator with one planned for the Karl Lagerfeld label in June:
“We lost a genius talent and true legend in Karl Lagerfeld. He impacted so many people with his visionary approach not only to fashion but to the world, and I am so grateful to have been a part of that vision.”
Marc Metrick, president, of Saks Fifth Avenue:
“When I joined Saks 20 years ago, I was very new to fashion. The one name I knew was Karl Lagerfeld. Since getting much closer to fashion over the last two decades, I now understand why — and I know he will leave an enduring legacy.”
Burt Tansky, former ceo of the Neiman Marcus Group:
“He did everything,” said Tansky, adding Lagerfeld broke the industry mold by setting a new template for multitasking and exuding a larger-than-life persona. “He was a fashion designer, a photographer, an artist. Karl was certainly one of the great, great talents of the fashion industry. His mark on fashion will last forever. He had a terrific personality and a good sense of humor. It’s been eight years since I was running Neiman’s, but I believe Karl’s work manifested in a very, very large Chanel business at Neiman’s. I believe it became our largest designer business.”
Ira Neimark, who ran Bergdorf Goodman from the late Seventies to the early Nineties:
He received a letter of encouragement from Lagerfeld about four decades ago, when Neimark began transforming the store into a high fashion emporium. Neimark still has the letter, in a wood frame. “Karl was very helpful. He wrote ‘If you start to regret change, you are lost. It’s better to be part of the change than to stand still and have regrets.’ When I wanted to make a lot of changes at Bergdorf’s, Karl was very helpful. We spent time together in New York to figure out how to maximize Chanel and how to promote Fendi furs, which were very successful. He was encouraging me to do what I wanted. He had a good business head.”
Alberta Ferretti, designer and vice president of Aeffe SpA:
“I met him for the first time years ago during an event in Monte Carlo and we spoke the entire night about fashion. I loved talking to him and exchanging ideas. He was a great thinker and he will be truly missed.”
Lorenzo Serafini, creative director Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini:
“Fashion won’t be the same without him.”
More on Karl Lagerfeld:
Chanel Pays Tribute to Karl Lagerfeld, Names Virginie Viard as Successor
The 11 Best Karl Lagerfeld Quotes of All Time
Video: Watch Kaia Gerber and Karl Lagerfeld Talk About Designing Their Capsule Together
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