Chanel's Haute Couture Designer Karl Lagerfeld Passes Away at 85

Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's creative director and one of the most sought after designers in the world, has died at the age of 85. Earlier in January, Karl missed Chanel's Haute Couture spring/summer 2019 show in Paris which raised speculations about his health.

Lagerfeld died on Tuesday after being rushed to a hospital in Neuilly-sur-Seine just outside Paris the night before.

The fashion giant began his career at Pierre Balmain (France) in 1955 and moved to Fendi (Italy) in 1965. He joined Chanel in 1983 and worked at the German fashion house for 36 years. He also started his own eponymous label Karl Lagerfeld in 1984 without hampering his collaborations with Fendi and Chanel.

He usually made appearances in his personalised black outfits, a pair of black glasses and his tread mark hair tied in a ponytail. He was a complete trendsetter in the '80s.

His absence will be felt deeply as the Milan Fashion Week and Paris Fashion Week is all set to begin where Fendi will present the Label's autumn/winter 2019 collections.

“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,” LVMH chairman and chief executive Bernard Arnault said in a statement.

“We owe him a great deal: his taste and talent were the most exceptional I have ever known.”

A true craftsman who combined artistic instinct, business acumen and commensurate ego, Lagerfeld was known for his strikingly visual fashion show displays and extravagant outfits.

Born in Hamburg in 1933, Lagerfeld made his debut with designer Pierre Balmain as an apprentice before moving on to Patou and Chloe and then Italian brand Fendi. He gained a rock-star status after he joined Chanel in 1983.

He earned the nicknames “Kaiser Karl” and “Fashion Meister”.

“We are deeply saddened to learn the news of Karl Lagerfeld’s passing today. His unrivalled contribution to the fashion industry changed the way women dress and perceive fashion,” Caroline Rush, chief executive of the British Fashion Council said in a statement.

Tributes from celebrities, designers and models like Victoria Beckham, Donatella Versace, Alexa Chung, Diane Kruger, Manish Malhotra among others have started to pour in across all social media platforms.