Lagerfeld was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in Germany in 1938, later changing his name to Lagerfeld.



His seven-decade career in fashion began in 1954 when he was awarded the Secrétariat International de la Laine (International Wool Association) for a sketch of a coat which landed him a job with Pierre Cardin, one of fashion’s leading designers of the time, alongside Christian Dior.

Lagerfeld, who was known as the “Kaiser of Fashion”, rose to fame in the 1960s as part of a set of Paris-based designers, including Yves Saint Laurent. In 1963, he became creative director of Chloe, where he was credited with transforming the label, which remains popular to this day.

But Lagerfeld will always be remembered for his leadership at Chanel, which he revived in 1983 after a period of relative stagnation following the death of its founder, Coco Chanel in 1971.