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By Saphora Smith and Caroline Radnofsky
LONDON — Iconic fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has died, according to French fashion conglomerate LVMH. He was 85.
The German designer was the creative director of French fashion house Chanel and the Italian luxury brand Fendi. He was also the director of his own eponymous brand.
Announcing his death in a statement Tuesday, Bernard Arnault, the chairman and CEO of LVMH which owns Fendi, described Lagerfeld as a “creative genius” to whom “we owe a lot.”
Arnault said he would always remember Lagerfeld’s “immense imagination, his ability to conceive new trends for every season” and his “inexhaustible energy” among other attributes.
Born in Hamburg, Lagerfeld is also known for his photographs, styling and illustration, according to his website.
On his website, it says Lagerfeld was born in 1938 but according to Reuters he has long enjoyed befuddling interviewers by citing different years of birth, the one deemed the most reliable is Sept. 10, 1933.
In January, Lagerfeld missed the finale of Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2019 show in Paris and asked his longtime right hand Virginie Viard to take his place, according to Vogue.
Explaining Lagerfeld’s absence, Viard said in a statement that he was “feeling tired” and had therefore asked Viard to represent him at the presentation.
Lagerfeld was named the art director of the house of Chanel in 1983. His website described him as a “force of nature, coupled with an enigmatic persona.”
“I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that,” runs one legendary quote attributed to him, and often recycled to convey the person he liked to play, according to Reuters. “It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long.”
Even his cat, Choupette, is famous. Described on social media as “Daddy Karl Lagerfeld’s spoiled” cat she boasts more than 100,000 Instagram followers.
Fellow designers and models quickly took to social media to pay tribute to the fashion icon.
British model Alexa Chung posted a picture of the pair on Instagram along with a caption saying it was “an honor” to have known him. “Rest in peace, Karl,” she said.
French designer Christophe Guillarme posted on Twitter: “My gosh Fashion week in Paris will never be the same again with all my tremendous respect #rip #KarlLagerfeld.”
Brian Atwood, a shoe designer, posted “RIP Karl. You brought so much beauty to this world! Your legacy will live on forever.”
The Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo said she felt a “great sadness” at the news of Lagerfeld’s death.
“More than an incarnation of Paris, Karl Lagerfeld was Paris,” she said.