Chanel Fashion Designer Lagerfeld Passes Away at 85

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Tuesday, February 19, 2019

GoLocalPDX News Team

Karl Lagerfeld passes away at 85. PHOTO: Christopher William Adach/Wikipedia

Chanel fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld passed away at the age of 85 in Paris, according to the Financial Times.

According to BBC, Lagerfeld had been sick for several weeks, and missed numerous fashion shows.

His death was announced by Chanel on Tuesday.

About Lagerfeld

Lagerfeld was born in Germany as Karl Otto Lagerfeldt, before changing his last name.

As the New York Times reports, there is some controversy about his birth year, as Chanel believes he was born in 1938, a book about Lagerfeld, written by Alicia Drake, claims he was born in 1935.

Lagerfeld told the magazine Paris Match that he was born in 1935.

As a teenager, he moved to Paris and became a design assistant for Pierre Balmain, before joining Fendi and Chloe in the 1960s.

However, he is best known for his work with Chanel.

Lagerfeld began his career with Chanel in 1983, over ten years after Coco Chanel passed away. He died in 1971 in Paris.

He first reintroduced "haute couture," before introducing his "ready-to-wear" line the following year.

While at Chanel, he launched his own brand in 1984, the Lagerfeld line. According to the company, "Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld is one of the most celebrated designers of the 21st century. He is renowned for his relevant approach to style and a curated vision that balances classic and contemporary influences. 'I design like I breathe,' he says of his artistic process, 'you don’t ask to breathe — it just happens.'”

He would lead Chanel for 36 years.

See Lagerfeld Discuss His 2018/19 Haute Couture Collection Below