Karl Lagerfeld
2025 Icon

Karl Lagerfeld

Leading Fashion Designer

b. September 10, 1933
d. February 19, 2019

 “Change is the healthiest way to survive.”

Karl Lagerfeld was among the most famous fashion designers in modern history, celebrated for his transformative leadership at Fendi and Chanel, his iconic personal style, and his artful ability to blend classic couture with bold, contemporary elements. He was also an accomplished fashion photographer.

Born in Hamburg, Germany, Karl Otto Lagerfeld was the son of a successful import business owner. He moved to Paris at the age of 14, where he completed his secondary education, focusing on drawing and history.

At 21, Lagerfeld won first prize in the coat category of the International Wool Secretariat competition in Paris. The accomplishment led to a position as an assistant to Pierre Balmain, the competition’s judge. By 1957, Lagerfeld was serving as the artistic director at Jean Patou, where he designed 10 haute couture collections.

In 1962, Lagerfeld left Patou to become one of the first freelance fashion designers. He worked with various houses, including Chloé, Krizia, Charles Jourdan, and Valentino. In 1965, he began a longstanding collaboration with Fendi, revolutionizing the brand’s approach to fur and leather goods.

Lagerfeld gained a reputation for innovation. In 1983, he became the creative director at Chanel, revitalizing the luxury brand by blending classic and contemporary trends. In 1984, he launched his own label. In 2004, his groundbreaking collaboration with the budget-friendly retailer H&M brought high fashion sensibility to the masses.

Throughout the 2000s, Lagerfeld continued to wow the fashion world with his work at Chanel, Fendi, and his eponymous label. For Chanel, he mounted extravagant runway shows, transforming the Grand Palais in Paris into a supermarket in 2014 and staging a rocket launch in 2017. He marked his 50th anniversary with Fendi by debuting the first collaboration between the brand and his label. In 2016, he orchestrated Fendi’s 90th anniversary show at the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

In addition to fashion design, Lagerfeld designed homes and interiors and became an acclaimed commercial photographer for Chanel and high-end magazines. Dozens of collections of his photographs have been published.

Lagerfeld remained one of the fashion industry’s most prolific and influential figures until his death. He maintained an 18-year relationship with Jacques de Bascher, the son of a French aristocrat, whom he cared for until de Bascher’s death from AIDS in 1989.

Lagerfeld died in Paris at the age of 85. The New York Times published his obituary.