Fashion icon and Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld died on Tuesday night, leaving behind a large fortune following his pioneering businesses.

And his pet cat, Choupette, could be set to inherit part of the German-born designer's reported $(Aus)270 million fortune.

Mr Lagerfeld, 85, had a special bond with his pet, with Choupette - who has his own unofficial blog and 164,000 followers on Instagram.

Both accounts are run by a fan.

The designer famously announced Choupette would inherit some of his fortune in an interview with Numero magazine last year.

“Among others, yes. Don’t worry, there is enough for everyone,” he told the magazine.

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Mr Lagerfeld also his Siamese cat, who lived with him in Paris, was "spoilt".

"She is spoilt, much more than a child could be," he told the AP in 2013, revealing that he took her to the vet almost every 10 days.

Lagerfeld 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.

With his powdered white pony tail, black sunglasses and starched high-collared white shirts, Lagerfeld was as recognisable as his celebrity clients.