The iconic and legendary designer, Karl Lagerfeld, has passed away in Paris at the of age 85. His work ethic was unmatched, producing up to 15 collections a year for Chanel, Fendi, as well as his eponymous label. He famously said, "Why should I stop working? If I do, I'll die and it'll all be finished. I'm lucky to work in the most perfect of conditions. I can do what I want in all kinds of areas. The expenses are not expenses. I would be stupid to stop that. Work is making a living out of being bored."
The prolific and widely admired designer was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in 1933 in pre-war Germany, before moving to Paris in his teenage years. His started his illustrious career in fashion as the assistant of Pierre Balmain before designing for Chloé. But the true impact of his creative genius was his guiding hand in transforming Chanel into the global fashion powerhouse that it is today, as well as his turning the LVMH owned Fendi into a fashion mainstay; he created the brand's iconic double F logo.
Known lovingly within the Fendi family as the 'sixth Fendi child', Lagerfeld himself was one of the key inspirations behind Fendi's autumn/winter 2019 men's collection—Lagerfeld's love of tailoring was masterfully referenced by designer Silvia Fendi and the runway set was a homage to his famous library.
Lagerfeld also played an integral part of the fusion of high and fast fashion as he was the first designer to collaborate with H&M on a collection. His co-sign of the H&M collaboration opened the door for other designers, such as Donatella Versace, Rei Kawakubo, and most recently, Jeremy Scott of Moschino.
While his impact on womenswear will never be forgotten, Lagerfeld was no slouch in the menswear realm either, counting style icons the likes of Pharell and G-Dragon as both fans and muses. In a landmark move for Chanel, Pharrell will be launching a collaboration capsule with the French luxury maison later this year.
While there is still no news of who will replace Lagerfeld at Fendi, Virginie Viard who served as Director of the Fashion Creation Studio for Chanel will be succeeding him as creative director of the French couture house.
To celebrate an incredible life and legacy, we look back on Lagerfeld's iconic career by spotlighting some of our favourite menswear looks from the Kaiser. Scroll through the gallery above. RIP Karl.
