100 Most Influential People in Fashion

Fashion Influential #11: Karl Lagerfeld

Karl Lagerfeld Unveils His Christmas Window At Le Printemps

Designer Karl Lagerfeld unveiling his Christmas window at Le Printemps department store in Paris. (Photo Agency)more pics »Beginnings.
KARL LAGERFELD
Born:
September 10, 1938 in Hamburg, Germany.
Designed for:
Balmain, Jean Patou, Chloe, Chanel, Fendi, H&M
Fans: Every young Hollywood starlet, including MaryKate and Ashley Olsen.
Fan of: Modern architects Zaha Hadid and Rem Koolhaas

Karl Lagerfeld (born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt) left his native Germany for school in Paris at the age of 22. He won a contest held by the International Wool Secretariat for a coat design soon thereafter, which led fashion house Balmain to offer him a job. According to Karl, who never attended fashion school, "...it was the idea of going back to school that kept me in fashion--I was not crazy about school."

Career Highs.
In 1983, he was named artistic director of Chanel, which had been suffering poor reviews and sales for over a decade. He breathed new life into the project with his remarkable eye for street-style trends, reestablishing Chanel's prominence in the world of high fashion. In 2004, his line for bargain clothier H&M sold out in one day.
There is a strange and invisible borderline when fashion is not only fashion, but becomes the most evident and most easily visible expression of an area. Fashion as history is beyond fashion, and it is not only limited to clothes.
-Karl Lagerfeld, October 2008

Karl Lagerfeld's 2008/9 Chanel Cruise Collection Show.Career Lows.
Lagerfeld's early career was anything but auspicious. Fashion writer Carrie Donovan reported that the press actually "booed" his first show for Jean Patou in July 1958. Some of his later, edgier designs, such as his satin "slap in the face" hat meant to hang over the wearer's cheek, may have been a bit too daring for their times.

Legacy.
There is precious little in modern fashion that hasn't been touched by The Lagerfeld in some shape or form. As a designer for Chanel, Fendi, and his own Lagerfeld Gallery label, Lagerfeld maintains what is classic and iconic about his respective labels while remaining steadfastly contemporary and current.

Chanel Spring 2009 Collection.

Get the Look.
Even those who can't afford Chanel can borrow from Lagerfeld's signature style. He has proclaimed a love of statement-making accessories paired with simple, classic black clothes. Mix and match cheap costume jewelry with more elegant pieces for a Karl-inspired look.

- Alicia