The life of Karl Lagerfeld, the late Chanel designer whose career was honored at this year's Met Gala
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Karl Lagerfeld, the longtime creative director for Chanel and Fendi, was considered an icon in the fashion industry when he died in 2019 at age 85. At the time of his death, his fortune was estimated to be worth around $200 million.
Lagerfeld was close friends with Vogue Editor-in-Chief and Met Gala Chairwoman Anna Wintour, and his life and work served as the theme for this year's celebrity-studded event.
Lagerfeld was born in Germany. His career began when he took an assistant position with Pierre Balmain in 1995. Below, take a closer look at his life and fashion legacy.
Karl Lagerfeld was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in 1933 to a businessman and a lingerie saleswoman in Hamburg, Germany.
Source: Morningstar, Biography
For years, the designer would play coy about his true age, claiming to be born in 1935. His assistant told the AP in 2019 that he preferred "to scramble the tracks on his year of birth — that's part of the character."
When Lagerfeld was a child, his parents moved the family to a northern, rural part of Germany to avoid the rising tide of Nazism.
Source: Biography
Lagerfeld possessed an interest in fashion at an early age, and his parents were largely supportive of his dream. He ultimately secured his parents' permission to move to Paris at the age of 14.
Source: Biography
At the age of 21, he took first prize in a fashion contest for designing the best coat.
Source: Biography, Harper's Bazaar
Lagerfeld befriended fellow up-and-coming designer and contest winner Yves Saint Laurent.
Source: Biography
His career took off when he landed a junior assistant position with Pierre Balmain in 1955 ...
Source: Harper's Bazaar
... and then a designing gig with Jean Patou.
Source: Biography, Harper's Bazaar
He worked with Patou for five years before temporarily trading a career in couture for one in ready-to-wear.
Source: Biography, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times
He bounced around, transforming labels all over the industry through freelance jobs. Chloé was one that stuck — he was there for more than 10 years, beginning in 1964.
Source: Biography, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times
A job at Fendi followed soon after: the company brought him in to revamp its "boring" brand while he was still working at Chloé.
Source: The New York Times
Through his approach of shaving, coloring, and transforming furs, he introduced the concept of "Fun Fur" — which is reportedly where the iconic double-F Fendi logo got its start — to high fashion.
Source: The New York Times
In 1982, Lagerfeld said goodbye to Chloé and, in 1983, hello to the house of Chanel. His first show with the house was in 1984.
Source: Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times
He's widely credited with the revival of the iconic fashion house when he reimagined its ready-to-wear line in the early '80s.
Source: Biography
He was warned against joining the house and reportedly told The New York Times, "Everybody said, 'Don't touch it, it's dead, it will never come back.' But by then I thought it was a challenge."
Source: Business of Fashion
Lagerfeld took that challenge and ran with it. He is most known for amplifying the original design concepts put forth by founder Coco Chanel, adding his own flair that reflected the changing times.
Source: Business of Fashion, NPR
"[Chanel was] a sleeping beauty. Not even a beautiful one. She snored," he said in the 2007 documentary "Lagerfeld Confidential." "So I was to revive a dead woman."
Source: CNN
NPR's Susan Stamberg once described Chanel and the Karl Lagerfeld effect in 2005. She talked about the classic and timeless appeal of the original house, adding "The real Lagerfeld part: the illusion of unraveling wool, laced with color, at the skirt and cuffs."
Source: NPR
In 1984 he launched his own eponymous label around the motif of "intellectual sexiness."
Source: Biography
The designer's namesake brand exuded an "effortless, rock-chic" vibe — somewhat different from the other labels he designed for.
Source: Karl Lagerfeld the brand
In 2005, Lagerfeld sold the brand to the Tommy Hilfiger Group, but continued as chief creative director.
Source: Business of Fashion
Despite his reputation, Lagerfeld wasn't opposed to working with brands considered to be out of the realm of luxury or high fashion.
Source: Biography
Despite his reputation, Lagerfeld wasn't opposed to working with brands considered to be out of the realm of luxury or high fashion. In 2004, he collaborated on a collection with H&M.
Source: CNN, NPR, W Magazine
It set the stage for future collaborations with brands and designers, including Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons, Versace, Maison Martin Margiela, and Moschino. And in 2011 he designed a capsule collection for Macy's.
Source: Fashionista, Biography
Also in 2011, Lagerfeld designed a glassware line for glassmaker Orrefors.
Source: Architectural Digest
And in 1987, he posed for Playboy.
Source: Harper's Bazaar
Throughout it all, he was known as both a collector and an auctioneer — he'd gather up things like furniture, books, and real estate for their connection to the aesthetic of their time, and then auction them off in a seemingly emotionally disconnected way.
Source: The New York Times
According to The Times, people who knew him said he did the same with some personal relationships.
Source: The New York Times
His spending habits landed him the label of a "squanderer." To that he said: "If you throw money out of the window throw it out with joy. Don't say: 'One shouldn't do that' — that is bourgeois."
He also found himself at the center of controversy several times. He didn't hold back from sharing his opinions on topics like other people's appearance and the Me Too movement.
Source: NPR, Model Alliance, Numéro
He said in 2018 that he was "fed up" with the Me Too movement, cast doubt on the testimonies of women who had come forward about sexual assault, and said young female models who objected to how they were treated by male stylists should "join a nunnery" instead.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
He also once took a public dig at model Heidi Klum, saying, "Heidi is no runway model. She is simply too heavy and has too big a bust. And she always grins so stupidly. That is not avant-garde — that is commercial!"
Source: Fashionista
He was also critical of his own weight at times. Around the early 2000s, he wanted to wear suits by Hedi Slimane, which had a slim fit, so he lost 92 pounds in a year.
Source: The Telegraph, The New Yorker
In fact, he ended up writing a book about his diet titled "The Karl Lagerfeld Diet." In the book he talked about his love for Diet Coke and toast, calling toast "the height of luxury" and "the most delicious thing in the world."
Source: Insider, The Guardian, Harper's Bazaar
His history of working with fur has also placed him at the center of some animal-rights controversy. PETA referred to the designer as its "nemesis" in a tweet that was meant to announce the "end of an era" that celebrated fur in fashion after his passing.
Source: The New York Times, PEOPLE, PETA UK Twitter
His career extended into the entertainment industry as well: he served as a costume designer, director, actor, and even writer in a number of films. He was also a photographer and shot many of his own fashion editorials over the years.
Source: IMDB
In the world of fashion, Lagerfeld was known for his timely taste and of-the-moment designs. But he also appreciated and paid homage to trends and styles of the past through his use of tweed and pearl accessories.
Source: Biography
He was reportedly known for shopping at flea markets where he'd buy old wedding dresses, deconstruct them, and then reimagine them completely.
Source: Biography
He cultivated a specific persona for himself that became iconic. His dark glasses and ponytail, in particular, date back to the late '70s.
Source: Harper's Bazaar, Vogue
"I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that," he said. "It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long."
Source: Vogue
In terms of his personal life, Lagerfeld had a 18-year relationship with Jacques de Bascher. De Bascher died from complications from AIDS in 1989.
Source: The Mirror
Lagerfeld himself died on February 19, 2019 at a hospital in Paris.
Source: Insider
The fashion designer was survived by his Instagram-famous cat, Choupette. In 2013, Lagerfeld told CNN, "There is no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals ... I never thought I would fall in love like this with a cat."
Source: CNN
He has said Choupette is the more famous of the two of them: "She has become the most famous cat in the world. I even get propositioned by pet food companies and things like that, but it's out of the question. I'm commercial. She's not. She's spoiled to death. Obviously."
Source: Vogue
He said the Birman breed cat, who has 221,000 followers on Instagram, would be one of the heirs to his fortune, adding, "Don't worry, there is enough for everyone."
Source: Insider, Choupette Lagerfeld Instagram
At the time of his death, tributes poured in from fans and fashion icons around the world.
Source: Harper's Bazaar
"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," Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer said in a statement to CNN.
Source: CNN
Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of Fendi owner LVMH said in a statement: "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."
Source: NPR
Donatella Versace wrote in an Instagram caption: "Karl your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I. We will never forget your incredible talent and endless inspiration. We were always learning from you."
Source: Donatella Versace Instagram
Years after Lagerfeld's death, questions still remain about the benefactors of his estate, which was estimated to be worth more than $200 million at the time of his death. French newspaper Le Parisien reported in 2020 that a group of seven people close to Lagerfeld were listed in his will, but those heirs are still in dark about what they'll receive and when, WWD reported.
Source: WWD
But the tributes haven't stopped, even four years after his death. The theme for the 2023 Met Gala was "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty." The event, which took place on May 1, served as a tribute to the late designer. Lagerfeld was close friends with Vogue Editor-in-Chief and Met Gala Chairwoman Anna Wintour.
Source: Harper's Bazaar
The hyper-exclusive gala drew an eclectic crowd of fashion insiders, designers, models, and celebrities who raised money for the museum and dressed in adherence to the theme. This year, that included everything from Chanel-inspired tweed to homages to Lagerfeld's signature black-and-white aesthetic.
Source: Insider
Áine Cain and Rachel Askinasi contributed to an earlier version of this article.
Read the original article on Business Insider
