Karl Lagerfeld, the Legend who defined luxury fashion
Karl Lagerfeld, the legendary German designer and Art Director of Fendi, Chanel, and his own label, would have turned 88 on September 10. This world-renowned couturier was a despicable individual who left a magnificent legacy in the fashion industry, altering it beyond recognition.Karl Lagerfeld originally wanted to be a cartoonist, but working with clothes was more lucrative. He worked with Yves Saint-Laurent, another great designer of the time, but the case divided them for good. Jacques de Basher, Lagerfeld's partner and assistant, was the reason. Saint Laurent's acquaintance with him in 1970 caused Lagerfeld jealousy, and the two great designers never communicated again. Karl Lagerfeld used to wear his hair loose, but in 1976 he created an image with a pigtail and stuck to it until the very last day. The couturier didn't have time for alcohol or cigarettes because they distracted him from his work.In 1955, he worked as an assistant to Pierre Balmain, and three years later, in 1963, he was appointed Art Director of the fashion house Jean Patou. Only someone with such talent could work on four completely different brands at the
same time: Fendi, Chloe, Charles Jourdan, and Krizia. Karl Lagerfeld was invited to Shanel 20 years later, in 1983. The designer read for two hours every day, and his favorite authors included Rimbaud, Mallarmé, Emily Dickenson's collection, Verlaine's poetry, and others. He referred to the book "The Sense of Beauty" by Santayano George as his Bible. Shuppet the cat was his favorite pet, and she even earned him money by appearing in an advertisement campaign for the Japanese beauty brand Shu Uemura in 2014. In 2015, Collete began selling a line of cat-themed bags and T-shirts, and the German company Steiff released 2,000 stuffed animal replicas for $545 each. Despite the couturier's German origins, the mayor's office of the French capital named Karl Lagerfeld an honorary citizen of Paris in 2017 and presented him with the highest award - the Grand Vermeil medal - for his contribution to the city's cultural image. “Do what makes you happy. Remember that you only have one life ”(Karl Lagerfeld).
