je suis une sorte de nymphomane de la mode qui n’atteint jamais l’orgasme. »
(“I am some sort of fashion nymphomania who never achieves for orgasme. ”)

​- Karl Lagerfeld

THE PROFILE

---

Karl Lagerfeld

One of the most acclaimed fashion designers in the world, Karl Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg, Germany.  Known for his bold designs and constant reinvention, he was hailed in Vogue as the "unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment." Lagerfeld died in Paris on February 19, 2019.

the chronicle

---

---

1933 birth

Karl Otto Lagerfeld was born in Hambourg Germany, but one year after his birth, his parents accquited a state of 500 hectares close to Nad Bramsted and named it Bissenmoor. The family lived there until the outbreak of Second World War in 1939.

In 1949, the family moved back to Hambourg and it was there, Karl Lagerfeld found his passion and calling: on 13 December of that year, Karl accompanied his mother to watch a Christian Dior fashion show.

After that he started to draw passionately, in particular of fashion.

---

1952: A German in Paris

“I love everything french.”

Karl Lagerfeld stated sincerely more one once.

He did not like his school years in Germany, but kept attending so he can learn French.

And in 1952, Karl and his mother Elisabeth Lagerfeld moved to Paris, the capital of fashion at that time.

Two years later, on 25 November 1954, he won the prize of the competition Secrétariat international de la laine organised by the brand Woolmark, in the coat category, while another young man, Yves Saint Laurent won in the category of evening dress, and the latter would become Karl Lagerfeld’s lifelong rival and reference point.

Pierre Balmain, the french couturier who served as one of the judges for the completion hired Karl Lagerfeld in 1955 to work for his couture house in which Karl worked until 1962.

---

1958-1982: Jean Patou, Chloé, Fendi

In 1959, While still working for Pierre Balmain, Karl Lagerfeld also became art director of Jean Patou, and in 1963, he started to work also for Chloé, first designing accessories then clothes.

Karl Lagerfeld prepares for his first collection of Jean Patou, July 1958

Karl Lagerfeld fitting with model when he worked for Jean Patou, on 21 July 1958

Karl Lagerfeld with model at Chloé, 1964

In the next years, he would also freelance for other French and Italian brands like Charles Jourdan, Valenino, Krizia, etc, showing extraordinary energy and versatility.

But it was in 1965 when he met the Fendi sisters, the cofounders of the Italian fur and leather goods brand, that Karl Lagerfeld acquired not only his first significant job as a designer, but a family. He not only recreated the logo, but remade the image of the brand, making it more modern and young. And he would stay with the brand until his death.

Karl Lagerfeld with Fendi sisters Carla, Alda, Franca, Anna, Paola, April 1983

---

1983: renaissance of Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel

Gabrielle Coco Chanel died in 1971, and after a decade, the brand she has created all her life was dying with her.

When Alain Wertheimer, the then owner of Chez Chanel approached Karl Lagerfeld to save the brand, none of Karl Lagerfeld thought it was a good idea, they were worried it would sabotage his reputation. But Karl did not listen to anyone of them, and thus created fashion history.

Karl Lagerfeld on his first Chanel show in 1983

---

1984: Karl Lagerfeld and prêt à porter

In 1984, after almost 30 years of working for the couture houses created by someone else, Karl Lagerfeld finally launched his own ready to wear fashion line: Karl Lagerfeld to showcase “intellectual sexiness”. It was later sold to the Cora Revillion Group.

Then in 1998, while opening his own gallery dedicated to photography and books:Karl Lagerfeld gallery, he launched a high end ready-to-wear fashion line for women under the same name, which would expand to include men fashion, and would change its name to “Karl Lagerfeld collection” seven years later, and then would be sold to Tommy Hilfiger for 30 million dollars.

In 2007, Karl Lagerfeld launched a new fashion line K Karl Lagerfeld for both men and women, featuring fitted t-shirts and jeans. then in 2012, he created KARL, yet another ready-to-wear clothing line that would be sold exclusively through the online shopping platform: net-a-porter.

Meanwhile, he worked with other brands to create special ready-to-wear collections. In 2004, Karl Lagerfeld created a capsule collection of 30 items for the global clothing retailer H&M.

Ce qui m'amuse, c'est ce que je n'ai jamais fait.”
(“What amuses the most, is something I have never done.”)

- Karl Lagerfeld

---

1989-2019: Karl Lagerfeld the renaissance man

After taking rein at Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld used his sensibility of the esthetics of Coco Chanel and sense of the time the new potential Chanel clients live in to transform the brand from a dying legend to a new identity.


The new post seems to have also stimulated his creativities in many other ideas other than couture design:

• he created his own ready-to-wear fashion lines as well as collaborating with popular brands to create special collection;
• while in Fendi, he had already involved in photographing the models, but in Chanel, he became a professional photographer and even published books of his photographs;
  
• He started to do costume design for films as well as theatres;
• He did interior decoration;
• He illustrated and designed books, built library and gallery, collected art, furnitures and jewleries......

The list could go on and on, but it is fair to say he is a réal renaisse man in the truest sense.

Je pense que les tatouages sont horribles, c’est comme porter une robe Pucci a vie. »

(“I think that the tattooed are horrible, it is like carrying a Pucci dress for the rest of your life.”)

- Karl Lagerfeld

​

the designing style

---

Colors:

Fabrics

Silhouette:

---

• Dresses

• Coats and ensembles

Sweatpants are a sign of defeat. You lost control of your life so you go out jogging.”

• Jewellery

Muses of Karl lagerfeld

---

the people related to

---

​

THE TASTE

​

I am physically allergic to flip-flops.”

Houses

Karl Lagerfeld has owned and lived in numerous homes during his life time:

1. an apartment in the rue de l'Université in Paris, decorated in the Art Deco style (1970s);
2. the 18th-century Chateau de Penhoët in Brittany, decorated in the Rococo style (1970s to 2000);
3. an apartment in Monte Carlo decorated until 2000 in 1980s Memphis style (from the early 1980s);
4. the Villa Jako in Blankenese in Hamburg, decorated in the Art Deco style (mid-1990s to 2000);
5. the Villa La Vigie in Monaco (the 1990s to 2000), a 17th-century mansion (hôtel particulier) in the Rue de l'Université in Paris, decorated in the Rococo and other styles (1980s to the 2000s);
6. an apartment in Manhattan, although he never moved into or decorated it (2006 to 2012);
7. the summer villa El Horria in Biarritz, decorated in the modern style (1990s–2006);
8. a house dating from the 1840s in Vermont (from the 2000s).
9. From 2007, Lagerfeld owned an 1820s house in Paris in Quai Voltaire decorated in modern and Art Deco style.

---

Hobbies

the external links

---

Books:

Websites and Articles:

English:

French:

• Karl Lagerfeld official website
• Karl Lagerfeld Wikipedia page French

Italian:

Spanish:

​Videos

---

---

---

---

back to top