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
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