Fashion world mourns as Karl Lagerfeld dies aged 85

Remembering fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld - Chanel's maestro sadly passes at 85. Fans mourn the loss of a legendary creative genius.

Largerfeld was the creative director of Chanel

Fans have been left shocked and numb as Chanel maestro Karl Lagerfeld passed away at the age of 85 after a short illness, reportedly pancreatic cancer. The Creative Head at the French fashion house and noted fashion photographer died on Tuesday, and a source at Chanel confirmed to Reuters.

Missing out on the last fashion show by Chanel, held during the SS2019 Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, rumours spread that the designer had not been doing well. He was admitted to the American Hospital in Paris a day before his death. The German had taken over Chanel as the Creative Head in 1983 and since then had taken the French fashion house to soaring heights.

Karl Lagerfeld also worked for Fendi and his eponymous label, and brought glamour to Chanel's signature tweed designs and quilted looks. Always sporting a sleek white ponytail and a pair of dark sunglasses along with dark suits, the talented wiz was known for his irreverent style and personality.

Arriving to Paris in his 20s, Karl Lagerfeld had been looking frail and weak in the recent months. Born to a German mother and Swedish father, in Hamburg, he was dubbed 'Kaiser Karl' and 'Fashion Meister'. Always being spotted with the hottest and the most glamorous in the fashion industry, Karl Lagerfeld was quite close to his cat Choupette too. In a 2018 interview, Karl is quoted as saying that he wants to be buried by his mother and his cat.

Known for his extravagance and imagination, Karl Lagerfeld famously turned the Chanel runway into an airport and a supermarket and brought other fabulous elements to the catwalk. His sharp tongue left many dumbfounded but he was loved and adored by many in the fashion industry, and his sad demise has left an irreplaceable and gaping hole both in the fashion world and our hearts.

Rise to power: Karl Lagerfeld is pictured in 1982, left, and 1980, right, shortly before he began working with Chanel

 

Lagerfeld after winning the coats category in a design competition sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat, Paris, December 1954. With him is a model wearing his design. The competition win led to Lagerfeld being hired as assistant to Pierre Balmain

Karl Lagerfeld is seen sitting on the edge of his desk in his Paris apartment

Certain style: By the 1990s he had earned rockstar status in the fashion work for his work with Chanel