Karl Lagerfeld was the master of reinvention, both for himself and for some of fashion’s most legendary names. When he took over Chanel in 1983, the brand was a shadow of its former self, a relic of mid-century Parisian glamour. Lagerfeld, never one to shy away from a challenge, saw opportunity where others saw the past. He revived Chanel’s codes—the bouclé tweed, the interlocking C’s, the pearls—while layering in his own sharp wit and contemporary flair. In his hands, the house became relevant again, adored by new generations from Paris to Tokyo.
Before Chanel, there was Balmain, Patou, Chloé, and of course, Fendi—where he collaborated with Silvia Venturini Fendi to redefine Italian luxury for over half a century. Lagerfeld didn’t just fit into these places, he transformed them. His knack for channeling cultural references into instantly iconic pieces was unmatched, and the way he wove history, humor, and modernity together made him one of fashion’s great storytellers. His partnership with Fendi, beginning in 1965, resulted in the house’s evolution from a furrier to a full-fledged ready-to-wear powerhouse.
By the time Lagerfeld launched his eponymous brand in 1984, he had already secured his status as an industry titan. He approached the Karl Lagerfeld label with the same irreverence and vision that defined his work at Chanel and Fendi—sharp tailoring, rock-chic aesthetics, and a love for the unexpected. The brand became an extension of his persona: provocative, playful, and always on the pulse of what’s next. Even when he sold it to Tommy Hilfiger’s group in 2005, he stayed at the creative helm, refusing to let his vision be diluted.
Lagerfeld was more than a designer—he was an icon of the industry, a polymath who not only defined fashion but captured it through his camera lens. He shot campaigns for Chanel, captured editorial imagery, and even directed short films. Until his passing in 2019, he continued to create, his energy seemingly boundless. Lagerfeld lived by the idea of constant evolution—in his work, his style, and even his personal mythology—always moving forward, always redefining what it meant to be Karl.
