Following the passing of Karl Lagerfeld, Bernard Arnault, Chairman, and CEO of LVMH commented:
“With the passing of Karl Lagerfeld, we have lost a creative genius who helped to make Paris the fashion capital of the world and Fendi one of the most innovative Italian houses. We owe him a great deal: his taste and talent were the most exceptional I have ever known. Artistic director of Jean Patou in 1959, creator of Fendi since 1965, member of the LVMH Prize jury since its creation in 2013, he honored the LVMH group with an extraordinarily stimulating creative and entrepreneurial friendship. I will always remember his immense imagination. His ability to conceive new trends for every season.His inexhaustible energy.The virtuosity of his drawings.His carefully guarded independence. The death of this dear friend deeply saddens me, and my wife family. We loved and admired him deeply. Fashion and culture have lost great inspiration.”
Karl Otto Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg-Germany in 1933 to Elisabeth (née Bahlmann) and businessman Otto Lagerfeld.
The young Karl since early age showed that his great inspiration in visual arts came from French artists. He was an avid student, always attracted to all forms of art. To learn and speak a better french, the adolescent Karl moved to Paris. Some say that he escapes to Paris where he finished his secondary school at Lycée Montaigne in Paris majored in drawing and history.
The road to success
During the two years living in Paris, he won his first prize with the coat design category and Yves Saint Laurent in the dress category promoted by the International Wool Secretariat.
The year was 1955 when Yves and Lagerfeld, the future stars walked their first steps to future worldwide of success. They become friends.
In 1958 Pierre Balmain hired Karl Lagerfeld as their artistic director. After three years he moved to work for Jean Patou when in 1964 Karl was invited by Tiziano and decided to move to Italy. There, he was also designing for other famous brands; Chloé, Valentino, Charles Jourdan, to mention few.
His style caught the attention of important Haute-Couture Maisons amounts them in 1967 Fendi hired him. A lifetime partnership.
The revival of Chanel
After Coco Chanel died, little by little, her famous logo CC started to decline to almost disappears. The revival of Chanel happened in the ‘80s after the Maison Chanel hired Karl Lagerfeld.
By then, Karl revamps the ready-to-wear line promoting the brand through Chanel’s logo, with unique catwalk shows. Lagerfeld was not afraid to innovate and to surprise the Haute Couture public. Like when he hired a famous stripper star, Moana Pozzi to model Fendi’s collection show. Karl is no doubted the most prolific designer in the 21’s century. Not only productive but stylish, unique, and extremely creative. His creativity generated more than $4 billion a year for Chanel Maison.
His life can count as decades of success, decades of catwalks and stonishing collections under the world spotlight. His personal life, however, was never under public scrutiny: a cultured man and a private person.
The birthday of Karl Lagerfeld brand
In the 80s Karl Lagerfeld brand was launched. It opens its own space in the fashion industry; however, it was Chanel who made him famous. Karl still the face of luxury, style, ready-to-wear, and modern Haute-couture.
His expertise in design, fashion, and everything related to art created by his geniuses open a challenging question;
-Who will seat on the now empty chair of Chanel’s Maison to surpass Karls creativity? A tough task!
The star that left this world as an Icon is now the legend of Karl Otto Lagerfeld.
