Kaiser Karl, a fashion giant
Designer who’ll be remembered for spectacular shows
powerhouse and demanded $1million a collection. By 2017, when it revealed its finances for the first time, it had made €1.56billion in the year. Alain Wertheimer, chief executive of Chanel, said yesterday: “Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House of Chanel’s success throughout the world.
“Today, not only have I lost a friend, but we have all lost an extraordinary creative mind to whom I gave carte blanche in the early 1980s to reinvent the brand.”
Karl had also boasted his ownbrand label and was an acclaimed fashion photographer.
He was beloved of successive generations of celebrities, from Cindy Crawford and Kate Moss to Katy Perry and Cara Delevingne.
A big fan of social media, he set up an Instagram account for his cherished cat - Choupette’s Diary and would update her 100,000 followers as she attended fashion shows and flew on his private jet.
In 2013 he said he would “gladly marry” the cat if it were legal.
Famed for outrageous sets during his shows he imported an iceberg one year, built a Chanel supermarket, a casino, and, last season, a beach – complete with waves and lifeguards.
Famed for an acerbic wit, he often courted controversy. He said pop star Adele was “a little too fat”, called Russian men “ugly” and said the Royal Family was “unnecessary”.
He invoked the Holocaust to criticise German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s open door to migrants.
But he was also credited with preserving six traditional Paris craft houses from economic ruin.
Rumours of ill health circulated after he missed Chanel’s spring/ summer show last month.
He will now be succeeded by his long-term right-hand woman Virginie Viard, Chanel’s fashion creation studio director.
Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour said of Karl: “Today the world lost a giant among men.
“Karl was brilliant, he was wicked, he was funny, he was generous beyond measure, and he was deeply kind.
“I will miss him so very much.”
Australian singer Kylie Minogue, for whom he made tour outfits, described her friend as “unique, masterful, funny and generous.”
Designer Donatella Versace said: “Karl your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I.
“We will never forget your incredible talent and endless
ON LAGERFELD YESTERDAY
inspiration. We were always learning from you.”
Posting a picture of herself with Karl on Instagram, singer
Lily Allen, who modelled for him, said: “You made me feel like a princess.
“I never quite understood what you saw in me but I am for ever grateful for the support you and Chanel have given me over 15 years.
“Rest In Peace, you were a true genius and will be missed, so much.”
Presenter and model Alexa Chung added: “Rest in peace, Karl.
“I remember being so scared to interview you and yet you were in fact incredibly witty and generous.
“Thank you for inviting me to some of the most glamorous experiences of my life. Oh yeah and thanks for the dry shampoo tip, will always think of you as I powder my wig.”
Designer Stella Mccartney added: “To say I knew this gentle man that changed how we all looked at the world, is an honour.” KARL Lagerfeld redefined high fashion with his spectacular catwalk shows and changed the way we consume fashion.
He was creative director at Fendi for 52 years and designed his own-name fashion range. But it is his tenure at Chanel that he will undoubtedly be remembered for.
The French couture house was floundering when he took over 10 years after the death of founder Coco Chanel. Lagerfeld turned it into the world’s most successful fashion brand.
He built on Coco’s intrinsic aesthetic by taking her iconic boucle jacket, the little black dress, quilted handbags, chain handles and faux pearls and reinterpreting them season after season. It kept the nostalgia of the brand alive while constantly reinventing it and making it look new.
EXTRAORDINARY
He had the extraordinary gift of knowing what women wanted before they had even seen it. Quilted moon-boots, monogrammed bum bags, clogs, visors, women bought them all. His ability to design the most soughtafter, must-have accessories season after season was the key to his commercial and financial success. He redefined the fashion industry by broadening our expectations. With one eye constantly on the future, Lagerfeld was quick to embrace the social media age. He saw the need to produce shareable, iconic fashion images long before everyone else.
He also recognised that his persona was an important part of his role, creating an enigmatic image that was part caricature. Images he shared of himself travelling by private jet with his beloved and pampered pet cat Choupette added to his outrageous, often ostentatious image.
His limitless imagination was evident in his spectacular fashion week catwalk shows at the Grand Palais in Paris, which were always the hottest ticket in town.
Costing upwards of €8.7million to produce and taking 12 months to plan, one featured a space station complete with life-size rocketship that literally blasted off.
Fashion is all about reinvention and this was surely Lagerfeld’s greatest gift.
Every show marked a new chapter. What lies in store for Chanel remains to be seen.
He is the only person who could make black and white colourful CLAUDIA SCHIFFER