Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel fashion icon, has died at 85
/ cbs/AFP
Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld has died at the age of 85, the Chanel fashion house of Paris confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday.
The long-time creative director of the French fashion house, Lagerfeld was admitted to the American Hospital of Paris on Monday, according to local media reports. Lagerfeld did not appear at the end of Chanel's show at Paris Fashion Week in January, sparking concerns about his health.
Lagerfeld was born in Hamburg, Germany. He moved to Paris at age 14, where he worked at fashion brands including Chloe, Fendi, and eventually Chanel, earning a reputation as the "unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment," according to Vogue magazine.
Lagerfeld described himself as a "European," hailing the interwar Germany he never knew as a "spiritual homeland" that was destroyed under Nazism.
One of the first American stars to pay tribute to Lagerfeld was Kim Kardashian, who mourned him in a tweet as "a true legend."
We lost a true legend! You were such an inspiration to the world! You shot my first fashion shoot & I was so nervous to work w such an icon! The world is so much chicer because u existed! I’m beyond honored to have had the opportunity to work w u. U are so loved & will be missed pic.twitter.com/0BSXoLDNN7
— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) February 19, 2019
Lagerfeld's young years
Karl Otto Lagerfeld was born in the 1933 in the northern port city Hamburg, the son of a rich industrialist in the food sector.
He lived through the Allied bombings that devastated the city towards the end of World War II, but also learned French and English from a very young age.
"I was brought up as a European, I spoke three languages at age six: English, French and German," he told Gala magazine's German edition in 2014.
After seeing a Dior fashion show in a Hamburg hotel in the early 1950s, young Lagerfeld decided to become a fashion designer and set off for Paris with his mother's words — "there's nothing to do here, Germany is a dead country" — ringing in his ears.
From then on his life would become focused on France, Italy and the United States.
Fashion icon
Chanel paid tribute to the creative force behind its iconic designs in a statement released Tuesday that credited him for having "reinvented the brand's codes created by (founder) Gabrielle Chanel."
The fashion house's 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."
The announcement of his death came just a month after the man known as the "Kaiser" for his dominance of the industry did not appear at his Paris haute couture week show for Chanel, which he had led since 1983.
The prolific German had left many younger creators in the dust well into his 80s, turning out collections season after season for Fendi and his own label, as well as Chanel — the world's richest brand.
But in recent years Lagerfeld had visibly weakened, even if his extraordinary creative stamina showed little sign of flagging on the catwalk.
Friends had always said that the prolific creator would die with a pencil in his hand, and just last week his own fashion line Karl Lagerfeld was still announcing new design collaborations.
But speculation about his health spiralled last month after he missed the first show of his life, with Chanel executives saying that he "was tired this morning".
Italian designer Donatella Versace led the tributes as news of the Kaiser's death broke.
"Karl your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I," she wrote on Instagram, referring to her murdered brother who founded her brand.
First published on February 19, 2019
© 2019 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
What parents and students should know about fraternities
A new book gives a rare, up-close look at fraternity life in America
1H ago
Scientifically proven ways to lose weight
Experts say it's the quality, not just the quantity, of what you eat that matters
1H ago
Ex-cop who killed teen contests rare challenge to his sentence
Jason Van Dyke's attorneys say such the challenge from prosecutors is only warranted in extraordinary circumstances
2H ago
It's Ruth Bader Ginsburg's first day back on the bench
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is back for arguments at the Supreme Court after lung surgery
2H ago
Newspaper publisher suggests KKK should lynch Democrats
Goodloe Sutton, publisher of Democrat-Reporter newspaper, makes controversial comments to another Alabama paper
2H ago
It's Ruth Bader Ginsburg's first day back on the bench
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is back for arguments at the Supreme Court after lung surgery
2H ago
Newspaper publisher suggests KKK should lynch Democrats
Goodloe Sutton, publisher of Democrat-Reporter newspaper, makes controversial comments to another Alabama paper
2H ago
Bernie Sanders raises more than $1 million in under 4 hours
Sanders formally joined the presidential race Tuesday morning, telling CBS he intends to win the Democratic nomination and the White House next year
2H ago
Some New Hampshire Dems lukewarm on Sanders' second run
Sanders, who won the New Hampshire primary by 23 points in 2016, is so far getting a lackluster response to his second bid for the presidency
2H ago
Roger Stone ordered to appear in court over Instagram post
The longtime Trump adviser is under a limited gag order in his criminal case
2H ago
Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel fashion icon, has died at 85
A decades-long fashion career led to Vogue magazine dubbing him the "unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment"
updated 17M ago
"Several people buried" in avalanche at Swiss ski resort
Officials in Switzerland's Valais region say snow cascaded down a slope at the Crans Montana resort, burying skiers
updated 42M ago
Honda's U.K. plant closure adds to rising Brexit worries
The decision threatens at least 3,500 jobs, making uncertainty about Britain's divorce from the EU even worse
5H ago
Huawei CEO: "We will never" provide China with any information
In his first TV interview with an American journalist, Ren Zhengfei spoke with "CBS This Morning" co-host Bianna Golodryga
6H ago
Vatican confirms secret guidelines for priests who father kids
Church forbids clergymen from sex and marriage, but sometimes vows are broken, and until now, many children have suffered in silence
4H ago
Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel fashion icon, has died at 85
A decades-long fashion career led to Vogue magazine dubbing him the "unparalleled interpreter of the mood of the moment"
updated 17M ago
Brothers questioned in Jussie Smollett case speak out
Ola and Abel Osundairo went from persons of interest in the case to potential suspects to being released without charges
21H ago
21 Savage on his immigration case: "I'm not leaving without a fight"
The rapper opened up about his time in ICE custody and how his uncertain immigration status shaped him into the man he is today
Feb 18
Preserving the sounds of rare Stradivarius violins
In Cremona, Italy, the birthplace of Antonio Stradivari, an ambitious recording project aims to immortalize some of the finest musical instruments ever made
Feb 18
Jussie Smollett: Timeline of alleged hate crime on "Empire" actor
The alleged attack of "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett has sprawled into a three-week saga of confusing reports and contradictions
23H ago
Scientist who popularized term "global warming" dies at 87
Longtime Columbia University professor and researcher Wallace Broecker was known as the "grandfather of climate science"
7H ago
"Snow moon" 2019 will be this year's brightest "supermoon"
All 3 of this year's supermoons fall between January and March; here's how to get the best views of this one
6H ago
Misinformation online helps fuel measles outbreak
Tech companies like Facebook and Google are being criticized for the role false medical information may have played in the ongoing measles outbreak in the Pacific Northwest
Feb 18
Amazon wants half of shipments to be carbon neutral by 2030
Ecommerce giant has faced criticism for not doing enough in the fight against climate change
16H ago
Black snow falls from the sky in Siberia, and it's toxic
A pall of eerie black snow covered several towns in the Siberian region of Kuzbass, home to 2.6 million people and one of the world's largest coal fields
Feb 18
Scientifically proven ways to lose weight
Experts say it's the quality, not just the quantity, of what you eat that matters
1H ago
Grand Canyon tourists reportedly exposed for years to radiation
A safety manager for the park says the exposure came from uranium rocks stored in buckets
3H ago
Salmonella outbreak hitting pet food brands
At least two makers of animal food have been affected by a widespread turkey recall that has sickened hundreds
2H ago
Mediation program helps patients fight surprise medical bills
In 2018, the Austin, Texas, program negotiated $9.7 million worth of bills, saving patients $8.4 million in medical expenses
17H ago
Can weighted blankets really help you sleep better?
Weighted blankets have become popular, but do they really deliver on their promise of reducing stress and helping you sleep?
22H ago
How to make money in the stock market over time
Watching stocks swing up and down can be scary — but not if you keep these basic investment tips in mind
2H ago
Honda's U.K. plant closure adds to rising Brexit worries
The decision threatens at least 3,500 jobs, making uncertainty about Britain's divorce from the EU even worse
5H ago
Americans shocked by impact of new tax law: "My jaw hit the floor"
The first tax filing season under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is confusing and, in some cases, expensive for taxpayers
1H ago
Salmonella outbreak hitting pet food brands
At least two makers of animal food have been affected by a widespread turkey recall that has sickened hundreds
2H ago
After Amazon's HQ2 hunt, some states target corporate tax breaks
The retail behemoth has sparked a backlash against the kind of deal secured from New York before dumping it
21H ago
Ex-cop who killed teen contests rare challenge to his sentence
Jason Van Dyke's attorneys say such the challenge from prosecutors is only warranted in extraordinary circumstances
2H ago
4 dead, including children, in western Michigan shooting
Officials in Kent County, Michigan, say they are not searching for a suspect in the shooting at a home Monday
15H ago
Vatican hopes sexual abuse summit will be a turning point
Organizers of an extraordinary summit said they hope it will mark a "turning point" in the Catholic church's approach to clergy sex abuse
18H ago
Illinois "honor system" in question after deadly workplace shooting
Aurora's police chief says Gary Martin shouldn't have had the gun he allegedly used to kill five of his colleagues Friday
19H ago
Brothers questioned in Jussie Smollett case speak out
Ola and Abel Osundairo went from persons of interest in the case to potential suspects to being released without charges
21H ago