Lagerfeld, Karl

Karl Lagerfeld (1933-2019) started designing at the House of Pierre Balmain in 1955. Three years later he moved to Jean Patou where he designed two haute couture collections a year until 1963. In that year, Lagerfeld began a decades-long relationship with Fendi, designing their fur collection.

In 1965, he became the designer at Chloé. He remained there until 1983, when he became the head designer and director at Chanel. The great Coco had been dead for twelve years, and her label had become quite staid, but Lagerfeld brought a renewed vitality to the label, which was a smash hit with fashion fans.

Lagerfeld started his own label in 1984, and from 1992 through 1996, he again designed the collections at Chloé. He was the first big name designer to do a collection for mass marketer H&M in 2004, and continued to design Fendi furs, the Chanel collections and his own label until his death.

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from a mid 1980s jacket

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from a late 1980s tweed suit

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from a 1990s skirt suit

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from a 1990s jacket

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