Karl Lagerfeld, the iconic designer behind Chanel, has died.
The designer was 85 years old.
It’s reported that Lagerfeld passed away on Tuesday 19 February.
Paris Match reports that Karl was hospitalised on Monday night and passed on Tuesday morning.
The designer has been an icon of fashion since designing his first collection for Chanel in 1983.
He was absent from Chanel’s shows in January, prompting health concerns. In a statement following the second show without an appearance from Lagerfeld, Chanel stated that the designer was ‘feeling tired’ and ‘asked Virginie Viard, director of the creative studio of the house, to represent him.’
January was the first time Karl had ever missed an end-of-catwalk bow at one of his shows.
For the past year Karl made most of his catwalk appearances jointly with Virginie Viard, prompting discussion that Viard may take over Chanel after Lagerfeld’s retirement.
Karl was known for his signature look of a black suit, white shirt, white ponytail, and dark sunglasses – but he looked a little different at his last public appearance, turning on the Christmas lights on the Avenue des Champs-Elysées in Paris.
Though the German designer sported his signature all-black look – donning a jacket from Chanel’s 2010 Paris-Byzance Métiers d’Art collection and teaming it with sunglasses and a chic ponytail – he had on a new pair of sunglasses, a beard, and showed a smile with broken teeth.
Karl Lagerfeld’s Instagram posted an update one hour before news broke of Karl’s passing, showing a video of polka dot bags.
That post has now been flooded with comments from fans paying their respect to the iconic designer.
More to follow.
