Designers remember Karl
Icon inspired our local fashionistas
Legendary German fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld died yesterday in Paris aged 85. Renowned in recent years for his ashen ponytail, signature black sunglasses, high collar, fingerless gloves and skinny-fit jeans, Lagerfeld is mostly credited for reinventing the house of Chanel. He was at the helm of the French luxury brand from 1983. “Karl has always been my icon. The one thing I have learned from him is that never compromise and never lower your standard just to conform to people,” local designer David Tlale said. “I learned from him that one has to be consistent and always reinvent yourself.” “My favourite line I like from him is that ‘embrace the present and reinvent the future’. That has always played a part in my journey. Seeing him working for multiple fashion houses has been phenomenal.” Lagerfeld was also creative director for Italian fur and leather label Fendi as well as his own eponymous label. He photographed fashion campaigns for various luxury houses and lensed covers for magazines such as Vogue. He designed tour costumes for singers such as Madonna and Kylie Minogue. Designer Paledi Segapo said: “I was at a coffee shop when I found out the news and I spilled the coffee. A friend sent me a text because they know how much I looked up to him, I thought it was a joke.” Not one to mince his words, Lagerfeld often criticised certain female celebrities for their looks such as Adele, Pippa Middleton and Heidi Klum.