Karl Lagerfeld

"I remember a designer who claimed that only intelligent women wore her clothes. Naturally she failed".

"L for Lsd. Not the psychedelic substance, but his publishing house: Lagerfeld, Steidl, Druckerei Verlag. He also found time to be an editor. And he enjoyed underlining the curious similarity between the two acronyms."

Sharp jokes and inimitable creativity: these are the qualities of the great Karl Lagerfeld, he who loved to define himself as a "living label".

The German designer, who passed away in 2019, lent his name and talent to the cause of large fashion houses as well as cheaper brands , without however losing his creative independence. Brilliant, often shrewd, much loved by fashion houses as well as models: let's immerse ourselves in the world of the legendary Lagerfeld.

 

Biography

Karl Otto Lagerfeld was born in Germany, in Hamburg, on 10 September 1933. The only son of Christian and Elisabeth Lagerfeld, the designer comes from a wealthy family. An aura of mystery has always hovered over Lagerfeld's real age: even if the creative was officially born in 1933, some sources claim he may have come to light in 1935 or even in 1938 ; a circumstance which, in any case, contributes to amplifying his mythical figure.

In 1953 a very young Karl moved to Paris in the company of his mother. In the French capital Lagerfeld began to take his first steps in the world of fashion and get noticed by the most famous fashion houses. He first won a competition for a coat sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat; he was subsequently noticed by Pierre Balmain, founder of the fashion house of the same name, who offered him a job.

Karl Lagerfeld also wins another competition, this time organized by Yves Saint Laurent. Not at all impressed by the caliber of his French colleague and after a further, important work experience at Jean Patou (interrupted by the German), Lagerfeld decided to open a small fashion shop in Paris, self-financing thanks to the family assets.

Activities and collaborations

In 1980 Karl Lagerfeld founded his eponymous label, with the intention of launching not only his clothing lines, but also perfumes. The stylist, in fact, is multifaceted: he loves fashion, but also photography and does not disdain the beauty sector either.

Another almost unusual characteristic for a designer of the caliber of Karl Lagerfeld is that of lending his talent and name even in the case of collaborations unjustly considered to be of low profile.

The creative puts his all into the partnership with H&M, a low-cost brand to which he sold his limited edition creations in 2001, which sold out in a very short time.

Garments within everyone's reach and, at the same time, creation of high fashion clothes worn by supermodels, among which his muse, Claudia Schiffer stands out: Karl Lagerfeld coexists well in his thousand ingenious souls and even creates garments for some important names in international music, from Madonna to Kylie Minogue.

Creative, artist, even photographer: Karl Lagerfeld has always had clear ideas even behind a reflex camera. The German signs with the same nonchalance the shots portraying the Reverend Marilyn Manson as well as the advertising campaigns for the fashion house Chloé, with which he collaborates in the dual role of leader and creator of campaigns.

In addition to the French brand, Lagerfeld also links his name to other important high fashion brands: Chanel, Fendi and the well-known shoe brand Hogan.

Another great passion of Karl Lagerfeld is architecture. The German designer is linked by a sincere friendship with the late Iraqi designer Zaha Hadid, to whom he entrusted the creation of the Mobile Art Pavilion for Chanel. To Tadao Andō, to whom he entrusted the creation of his home-studio in Biarritz, Lagerfeld also dedicated a book written by him.

In 2012 Karl Lagerfeld was "crystallized" in the form of wax statue: the work can be admired at the Hamburg wax museum, Das Panoptikum.

Karl Lagerfeld official website: Karl.com

Death

19 February 2019 is a date that fashion enthusiasts and professionals cannot forget.

Following complications related to the pancreatic cancer from which he was suffering, Karl Lagerfeld dies in Paris, in the hospital where he had been hospitalized since the evening before his death. After his death, no funeral was held, according to the wishes of the designer himself.

Lagerfeld's ashes are scattered in secret places alongside his mother and partner, Jacques de Bascher. The world of fashion instead decided to pay tribute to Karl Lagerfeld on 20 June of the same year, through the initiative "Karl For Ever", an event that celebrated the life and versatility of the high fashion professional.

During the event, which boasted the presence of 2,500 guests, portraits were exhibited that summarized the stylist's career, but not only that: musical performances and readings held by famous names in fashion and showbiz cheered the participants, who gathered to remember the late stylist.

Another important initiative launched in the name of Karl Lagerfeld is “The White Shirt Project“: the celebration of the designer's creative legacy through the launch of a collection of revisited white shirts (one of the creative's most loved garments).

Private life

Karl Lagerfeld has always been a man animated by burning passions . In addition to fashion, photography and reading stand out among his first loves.

These are two interests that Lagerfeld manages to masterfully reconcile, first by publishing some books with his images with a German publisher, subsequently opening a bookshop and a publishing house in Paris.

A curious anecdote regarding Lagerfeld's life concerns the "kidnapping" of Choupette, the cat of a model friend of his. Karl Lagerfeld adopts this stupendous example of Sacred Birman transforming him into an influencer on Instagram and muse of Lagerfeld himself, as well as making him testimonial of various brands!

In 2001, the news aroused curiosity, confirmed by Lagerfeld himself, about a rather strict diet followed by the stylist and photographer which led him to lose 42 kg in just over a year.

Honours

• Cross of Merit 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany — 1985
• Commander of the Order of the Legion of Honor (France) – 3 June 2010