Full Name: Karl Otto Lagerfeld 

Known AS: Karl Lagerfeld 

Nickname: Kaiser Karl 

Father: Christian Lagerfeld 

Mother: Elizabeth Bahlmann 

Wife: None 

Mistress: None 

Daughter: None 

Son: None 

Date of Birth: September 10, 1933? 

Birthplace: Hamburg, Germany 

Date of Death: February 19, 2019 

Death Place: Paris, France 

Cause of Death: Pancreatic cancer 

Remains: Cremated and ashes scattered with those of his mother and his cat Choupette 

Gender: Male Zodiac 

Sign: Virgo 

Religion: Agnostic 

Race or Ethnicity: White 

Education: Secondary school in Hamburg; Lycee Montaigne in Paris Nationality: German; later acquired French citizenship 

Influenced: Countless fashion designers and celebrities 

Major Writings: The Karl Lagerfeld Diet (2004); The World According to Karl (2013); Where’s Karl? (2015) 

Occupation: Fashion designer; creative director; artist; photographer


Career:

  • He won first prize for his coat design in the French International Wool Secretariat in 1954.
  • Worked as a junior assistant and later as an apprentice for Pierre Balmain from 1955 to 1958.
  • Became artistic director of Jean Patou’s fashion house from 1958 to 1963.
  • Designed freelance for various brands such as Chloe, Krizia, Valentino, and Charles Jourdan from 1964 to 1983.
  • Became consultant director of Fendi in 1967 and remained with the company until his death.
  • Produced his first couture collection for Chanel in 1983 and became the creative director of the brand until his death.
  • Launched his own eponymous label in 1984 and expanded it to include ready-to-wear, accessories, eyewear, perfume, and books.
  • Collaborated with various brands such as H&M, Diesel, Coca-Cola, Magnum, Melissa Shoes, and Shu Uemura on limited-edition collections and products.
  • Founded his own publishing house, Editions 7L, in 1999 and opened a bookstore of the same name in Paris.
  • Launched a mass-market line called Karl in 2012 and a luxury line called Karl Lagerfeld Paris in 2016.
  • Received numerous awards and honors such as the Legion of Honor, the Bambi Award, the British Fashion Award, and the CFDA Award.

Early Life & Childhood:

  • Born in Hamburg, Germany, to a wealthy businessman father and a musical mother.
  • Moved to a rural area of northern Germany during the Nazi regime and was isolated from any knowledge about the Nazis.
  • Expressed an interest in design and fashion from an early age and often cut out pictures from fashion magazines.
  • Moved to Paris at the age of 14 with the blessing of his parents to pursue his passion for fashion.
  • Studied at the Lycee Montaigne in Paris and learned French, English, and Latin.

Personal Life & Family:

  • Never married or had children but had several romantic relationships with men such as Jacques de Bascher, Baptiste Giabiconi, and Brad Kroenig.
  • Was very close to his mother until her death in 1978 and often quoted her witty remarks and advice.
  • Owned a Birman cat named Choupette who became famous for her lavish lifestyle and social media presence. Lagerfeld considered her his muse and heir.
  • Was known for his distinctive look of white hair, black sunglasses, high collars, and fingerless gloves. He also lost over 40 kilograms in 2001 by following a strict diet that he later published as a book.
  • Was an avid collector of books, art, antiques, and furniture. He owned several homes around the world that he decorated according to different themes and styles.

Later Life & Death:

  • Continued to work tirelessly until his final days, overseeing multiple collections and projects for Chanel, Fendi, and his own label.
  • Missed two Chanel shows in January 2019 due to ill health. He was later diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
  • Died on February 19, 2019, at the age of 85 at the American Hospital of Paris. His death was mourned by the fashion industry and celebrities around the