We are heartbroken to hear Karl has passed away, according to reports coming out this morning from Paris. The iconic designer, who was one of the most prolific, incredibly talented and easily recognisable figures in the fashion industry, was 85 years old.
Speaking of the sad news today Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer said: “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.”
“Fashion show after fashion show, collection after collection, Karl Lagerfeld left his mark on the legend of Gabrielle Chanel and the history of the House of Chanel,” added Bruno Pavlovsky, President of Fashion at the brand. “He steadfastly promoted the talent and expertise of Chanel’s ateliers and Métiers d’Art, allowing this exceptional know-how to shine throughout the world. The greatest tribute we can pay today is to continue to follow the path he traced by – to quote Karl – ‘continuing to embrace the present and invent the future’.”
Virginie Viard, Director of Chanel’s Fashion Creation Studio and Karl Lagerfeld’s closest collaborator for more than 30 years, has been entrusted by Alain Wertheimer with the creative work for the collections, so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on.
Our thoughts are with his friends and family at this time. Thank you for all the years of beauty and inspiration.
We will update this post with more details as they come in…