Someone does not treat him very warmly and considers him overrated, someone admires and calls him a genius. So many people, so many opinions, but one fact is indisputable: Karl Lagerfeld is one of the most influential figures in the fashion world and in modern culture. Moreover, this is a person who managed to come up with a bright, picturesque and memorable image, familiar even outside of fashion circles.
The designer did not come to him immediately, but the fact that in the future Karl would connect his life with clothes was clear even in childhood. As a child, Lagerfeld loved to dress up and took it seriously. Among his classmates, he was the only one who enjoyed wearing a neat, impeccably pressed school uniform. In addition, he was keenly interested in the national Tyrolean costume. Once he asked his mother Elizabeth to buy him a Tyrolean hat, to which she replied to her 8-year-old son: “You look like an old lesbian in it.” After this not the most eloquent criticism, Lagerfeld prefers to go bareheaded.
Gloves
Elizabeth Lagerfeld, in principle, did not differ in tact. In many ways, it was her straightforward comments about her son that formed the elements of his iconic image. Minus the hat - plus the gloves. When Karl tried smoking at the age of 14, his mother stopped him, though not in the form that is customary to do so. Elizabeth judged Carl's hands as not beautiful enough to be in public view with a cigarette. Now the designer always hides them in black fingerless gloves. Without fingers, because otherwise it is inconvenient for him to sketch. In addition, he believes that the glove makes the hand longer, and in French the phrase "to have long arm" means the same as "to be influential." By the way: when Lagerfeld achieved success in the fashion industry, his mother did not attend any of his shows.
Glasses
Another eternal attribute of Lagerfeld is dark glasses, without which he was last seen, perhaps, in the 1980s. The designer explained the meaning of this accessory as follows: “Once I had an interview with some German journalist, a terribly ugly lady. She was wearing a rather see-through yellow sweater and a huge black bra underneath. She said, "Take off your glasses, it's impolite." I said, "Am I asking you to take off your bra?" The glasses are my cloak (Muslim clothes that cover the entire body - Ed.). Plus, I’m a little nearsighted, and when nearsighted people take off their glasses, they look like cute little dogs that you want to take home with you.”
Hairstyle
Matte snow-white ponytail became the designer's signature hairstyle in the mid-1970s. When Lagerfeld could no longer see long curly hair, he began to straighten and bleach his own. "The ponytail is the most simple hairstyle. I don't know how to style my hair with gels and other means. And the ponytail powdered with white powder is simple and perfect. ” Since then, about 40 years have passed. The designer himself never spoke about this, but it is possible that the whiteness of the hair was inspired by Andy Warhol's hairstyle. Although Lagerfeld once called the artist "physically disgusting", so it's impossible to say for sure.
Suits
Here, against the backdrop of timeless classics - a white shirt and a black suit - unusual details come to the fore. The designer wears shirts with a crisply starched collar that hides the entire neck, like those worn by Oscar Wilde and other 19th-century dandies. Lagerfeld's shirts are always made to order, because, as he himself said, "if you are used to Hilditch hand-sewn shirts, then the thing from the store will seem like an instrument of torture to you." The costumes themselves, which, at first glance, may seem almost the same, actually differ from each other in fabric and cut elements. History made a lot of noise when in 2002 Lagerfeld lost 42 kg in 13 months for the fitting silhouette of Dior Homme (by Hedi Slimane, of course). The final touches to each of Karl's outfits are accessories and jewelry: ties, brooches, chains, and so on. Lagerfeld's favorite jewelry is made by Parisian jeweler Lydia Courteille. In jewelry, as in the interior, he adheres to the Art Deco style, which he fell in love with in the 1970s in the wake of the general craze for vintage.
The rejection of variety in favor of a monolithic image with a speaking character is not just a fad, but a competent marketing ploy. Motifs and images of the designer with a white ponytail and sunglasses have repeatedly appeared as key rings and prints on items from Fendi and Karl by Karl Lagerfeld. And the fact that the designer likes to talk about himself is also quite logical, because the image works even better when there is a great story behind it.
The great fashion designer of our time, Karl Lagerfeld, began his career at the then-famous fashion house of Pierre Balmain. Thanks to his skills, he created sketches for brands such as Chloe, Fendi and Chanel (he was the manager of the house of this brand since 1983), and only in his fifth decade founded his own clothing line. It would not be an exaggeration to say that with his death, an entire era of the fashion world has gone.Childhood and family of Karl Lagerfeld
The future outstanding fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld was born on September 10, 1933 in Hamburg, Germany. For many years, the man liked to mislead reporters, all the time changing the date of his birth to 1933. This is due to the fact that his mother made a mistake in the documents, which she informed her son about just before her death. 
Karl was born into a prosperous family of a wealthy businessman. At that time, my mother was 42, and my father was 60. For them, this was not the first marriage, Carl has two half-sisters. Initially, his last name sounded like Lagerfeldt, and in the early 60s he removed the last letter so that it sounded more harmonious.
Even as a child, Lagerfeld spent most of his free time studying languages. He inherited his passion for them from his father, who boasted perfect pronunciation in 12 different languages. As for Karl, he mastered "only" English, German, French and Italian.
It is also worth noting the young man's passion for chic things, which his mother instilled in him. At the age of 6, he did not run in shorts and T-shirts, but wore exclusively shirts with cufflinks and even knew how to tie ties with his own hands.
One day, when the boy was perfecting his piano skills, his mother burst into the room and slammed the piano shut, while declaring: “Dedicate your time to drawing, at least it doesn’t make so much unnecessary noise.” He really began to draw and soon began to dream about the path of the artist, but then he realized that the creation of exclusive clothes is the true calling of a creative person.
When he was 14 years old, Karl asked his parents for blessings and went to Paris. In 1952, the guy applied to the French Lyceum, where he studied fashion sewing. During his studies, he also met Yves Saint Laurent, who in the future became a good true friend and companion.
At first, Karl studied diligently, and three years later he went to the competition, where Christian Dior, Pierre Balmain and other eminent designers sat on the jury. He submitted an amazing coat design and won first prize in this category. After these events, the life of the young man changed dramatically, because he was offered a job by Pierre Balmain himself. For 3 years, Carl worked hard, sketching and honing his skills at Balman's fashion house.
Design career of Karl Lagerfeld
Having gained good experience in the Balian fashion house, in 1958 Karl became the art director of Jean Patou, although his first collection was perceived cool, since the dresses were quite frank for that time. After 5 years, the man, unexpectedly for everyone, decided to move to Rome in order to better study the history of art. 
A few months later, he could boast of lucrative contracts with four famous fashion houses - Fendi, Chloe, Charles Jourdan, Krizia. It is noteworthy that Lagerfeld all the time tried to contribute. For example, it was he who introduced unique camisoles and attractive translucent things into Chloe.
In 1963 Karl signed a contract with Fendi. Thanks to his efforts and imagination, many famous models have learned about this brand, including Catherine Deneuve, Grace Jones and Gina Lollobrigida. He expanded the line of manufactured clothes, was able to add lightness to the brand's fur products.
In 1971, the fashion designer became the creative director of the Chanel fashion house. After Coco Chanel died, many famous personalities tried to take over a powerful corporation, but due to a series of failures, they abandoned this venture. It was Karl who managed to return the brand to its greatness and originality. Princess Diana often flaunted in dresses from Chanel.
In 1975, Lagerfeld decided to expand his horizons and tried to create perfume. Like everything the guru undertakes, he succeeded with ease. The aroma turned out to be delicate, floral, and most importantly, it completely enveloped the lovely clothes of the beautiful half of humanity.
In 1990, a man released a new fashion collection clothing, which was presented by Claudia Schiffer herself. After 2 years, he again became the director of the Chloe brand, but he did not manage to stay in the post. In 1997, this post was taken by Stella McCartney.
Karl Lagerfeld in Moscow
In 2000, the fashion designer delighted millions of his fans with a new brand called Lagerfeld Gallery. Some time later in the same year, the debut show was held at Fashion Week in Paris.
In 2002, the fashion designer worked on unique outfits for the Madonna and Kylie Minogue show. In 2004, he sold the rights to his clothing line to Tommy Hilfiger, but reserved the right to create exclusive items. After 2 years, Lagerfeld created another brand - K by Karl Lagerfeld, and in 2010 he was honored and awarded the Order of the Legion of Honor for an incredibly huge contribution to the development of art.
In 2015, the man introduced new collection clothes in the chic Grand Palais casino in Paris. In the middle of the year, he released a short film about the unsurpassed Coco Chanel. The main character was played by Keira Knightley. In April, the girl took part in an advertising campaign for the Chanel brand. The image turned out to be feminine and incredibly sensual. During the summer, Carl brought to the public a new collection of engagement rings, which he created together with the jewelry company Frederick Goldman.
Karl Lagerfeld collection for Chanel Spring/Summer 2016
Millions of Karl Lagerfeld fans know him as a talented fashion designer, but he also had other more mundane hobbies. For example, he created perfumes, painted, photographed and even wrote books. Despite his busy schedule, he always found time to have a nice chat with his girlfriends and take a couple of high-quality photos. He was adored by absolutely all world models, because when he held a camera in his hands, the girls through the prism of his lens became the object of adoration and desire, and the pictures won the hearts of all lovers of high fashion.
Personal life of Karl Lagerfeld
the only true love Secular lion Jacques de Bascher became an outstanding fashion designer. The young people met in 1971 and were a couple until 1983. After that, the man went to another outstanding fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent, which led to a gap between the two eminent designers. According to Karl, their relationship was purely platonic - there was no intimacy in them. But in his relationship with Yves Saint, Jacques was not such a puritan. In 1989 he died of AIDS. 
After that, Lagerfeld's heart closed to close relationships. Having survived the shock, Karl settled in a huge mansion. The only creature in which the fashion designer doted on was his cat Choupette (translated from French as “cabbage”) of the Burmese breed. A familiar fashion model gave her to Karl for overexposure, but the pet never returned to the former owner - the fashion designer could not part with her. The kitten got its own personal chef, stylist and servants, Choupette ate from silver dishes and ... brought a lot of money to the owner. Choupette earned more than 3 million euros from the advertising campaign of the Opel and Shu Uemura brands alone. And that's not counting her plush replicas and the book Choupette: The Private Life of a Fashionable High-Flying Cat.
Death
On February 18, 2019, Karl Lagerfeld was urgently hospitalized. In the previous weeks, the 85-year-old fashion designer, who suffered from incurable pancreatic cancer, had complained of feeling unwell. Morning February 19 icons modern fashion did not. 
Today, on the birthday of Karl Lagerfeld, we have compiled the TOP 5 attributes, without which Lagerfeld would not be the way we know him.
High collar.
A high collar is the first thing artists draw when trying to portray Karl. No one will probably remember Carl without a white collar. This summer, Karl created an exclusive collar model, embellished with diamonds and a huge emerald. The approximate cost of the product is 37.5 thousand dollars.
“I didn’t sit and puzzle over how I should appear. I really have become something of an image, but I have nothing against it, because it seems funny to me.
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Glasses.
Glasses, as Carl admitted, protect him from the outside world. Now to catch Lagerfeld without glasses is a task that is practically impossible. However, those who have seen Karl without glasses say that he has beautiful blue eyes.
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Gloves
Carl never goes without black gloves. He usually prefers gloves with chopped off fingers, which look very aristocratic, but are actually part of the uniform of Parisian roasted chestnut sellers (according to Karl himself). Karl himself is not delighted with his hands - perhaps the whole thing is his mother, who from childhood told him about ugly hands.
I even tried smoking, but my mother said, "You don't need to smoke, you have ugly hands, and it becomes noticeable when you smoke." My hands aren't ugly, but she didn't think they were good enough.
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Baptiste Giabiconi
Another attribute of Karl Lagerfeld can be safely called Batista Giabiconi, since it is he who accompanies Kaiser at all his shows and meetings. Previously, Karl and Baptiste were absolutely inseparable, recently Batiste has become interested in his own musical career, so he has much less time for his mentor. The modeling career of Batista Giabiconi began even before meeting Lagerfeld, but it was the meeting with him that made the young man the most famous fashion model of our time. In 2009 Giabikoni became the face of Chanel, Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld. In the spring, she takes part in the Chanel cruise collection show in Venice, then in the summer Chanel accessories campaign, led by Karl Lagerfeld.
“One day I went up to Carl and asked, ‘Why me?’,” Baptiste says. – What do you see in me? Why are you only working with me? He replied: "Because I saw in you something that is not in other people, both a man and a woman."
Giabiconi is the masculine version of Gisele Bundchen: skinny, skinny but athletic, who looks good with clothes but is beautiful without them."
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Choupette
“Choupette is an unusually beautiful cat, and our “collaboration” with her was a very unusual and interesting experience for me. Rumors that a separate hairdresser did her hair is nonsense, but she is represented by the same modeling agency as me. And I am sure that her career will be incredible! Cat models today are trained from the very “diapers”. From infancy, they bathe in everyone's attention and spend their whole lives on film sets. It has its own specifics: different types of cat “faces” are good for different purposes: a “flattened” muzzle is popular at cat shows, and a long nose is popular at fashion shoots, because it looks more good-natured”- Letitia Casta.
I'm jealous, so I hope she doesn't have anyone but me. True, several girls are courting Choupette, and she spends too much time with one of them. Her name is Francoise. She combs it, plays. Françoise also keeps Choupette's diary so that I can keep abreast of her life.
World famous fashion designer of German origin, photographer, director, creative director of fashion houses Chanel And Fendi, founder and designer of the name brand Karl Lagerfeld.
Biography of Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld(name at birth - Karl Otto Lagerfeldt) was born into a wealthy, prosperous family of a businessman. At the time of his birth, his father was 60 years old, his mother was 42 years old. At Karl Lagerfeld have two sisters previous marriages parents. Father Karla He was fluent in twelve languages. The fashion designer himself from childhood began to master, in addition to the German language, also English, French and Italian.
In 1952 Charles moved to Paris and entered the Lycée Montaigne under the Syndicate haute couture. During his studies, he read a lot of literature about art, learned to model clothes, and created sketches of outfits. In 1955 he won first prize for coat design in a competition organized by the International Wool Secretariat. Became an assistant Pierre Balmain with whom he worked until 1958. From 1959 to 1963 Charles worked as an art director at the House Jean Patou(Jean Patou).
After 1963 Karl Lagerfeld worked with four fashion houses at once - Chloé, Krizia, Charles Jourdan And Fendi, while creating completely different collections for each, preserving traditions and introducing new elements. The designer also worked on lines of lingerie Stillmann, designed sweaters for Ballantyne and worked as a fashion consultant Trevira. By joining Chloe, the designer added lightness and femininity to the collections: camisoles, translucent things, sleeveless jackets, clothing models with "Byron" collars appeared here. Long-term cooperation Karl Lagerfeld And Fendi is still going on. Designer brought Fendi to a new level: lines of ready-made clothes, shoes and accessories were created, completely changed the style of the fur production of the Fashion House. It was he who came up with the famous logo in the form of two F, one of which is upside down. In the 1960s, groupies Fendi steel Catherine Deneuve, Grace Jones, Ira Furstenberg, Gina Lollobrigida and other stars.
Beauty has many kinds, but beauty with character is better than perfection. There needs to be a little weirdness. Perfection only becomes less perfect with time. Most handsome actors have something in their faces that makes them recognizable. When beauty is standard, it is boring.
In 1983 Karl Lagerfeld left Chloe and moved to Chanel. After death Gabrielle Chanel the brand has lost its former fame and charm, no designer has been able to preserve and reproduce the unique style of the legendary Chanel. The designer breathed new life to the Fashion House. In the 1980s, a groupie Chanel became a princess Diana. The style icon has repeatedly appeared in outfits created by Karl Lagerfeld. Later he invited Claudia Schiffer to represent the collections of the Fashion House. Chanel.
Own clothing line Karl Lagerfeld Impression– the designer founded back in 1974. In 1984, the designer officially registered his own brand Karl Lagerfeld and started issuing men's clothing. the first women's collection branded Lagerfeld Gallery he only presented in 2000 at Paris Fashion Week.
In the early 1960s, Karl Lagerfeldt changed his last name to Lagerfeld, removing the last letter. According to the designer, this way the surname became more harmonious from a commercial point of view.
In 1991 Karl Lagerfeld created costumes for Pedro Almodovar's film "High Heels", in 2002 - for the film " callas forever directed by Franco Zeffirelli. In 2004, he designed the costumes for Madonna's tour. Re-invention tour and for the Kylie Minogue show showgirl tour.
"Golden Thimble" for the haute couture collection for Chanel (1986). Lucky Strike Designer Award (1993) Prize of the German Society for Photography (1996).
The film premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival in 2007. Rodolphe Marconi« Secrets of Lagerfeld". In 2014, a film by a French director was released Jalil Lesper « Yves Saint Laurent”, which shows the friendship between young fashion designers Karl Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent. Role Lagerfeld performed by Nikolai Kinski.
Karl Lagerfeld is a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor (France, 2010) - for his contribution to culture and art.
Lagerfeld was unmarried and had no children. After the death of AIDS in 1989, his life partner Jacques de Bascher lived alone.
fashion designer and creative director French fashion house Chanel Karl Lagerfeld died on Tuesday at the age of 85. According to Le Figaro, in the last few weeks, Lagerfeld was ill and very weak. In January, for the first time, he did not bow at the end of the show, but then Chanel explained this by the fact that the fashion designer was very tired.
“I drink it right after waking up and before going to bed. I can drink it at night and go back to sleep. I don’t drink coffee, I don’t drink tea, I only drink Diet Coke,” the designer says in an interview. According to rumors, Karl Lagerfeld has a specially hired person who, at public events, carries behind him a silver tray with a coveted bottle.
He wanted to be a cartoonist
But working with clothes brought Lagerfeld more money.
Nicole Kidman and Karl Lagerfeld, 2005
Lagerfeld and Saint Laurent - two of the era's greatest designers - fell out forever
The reason was Jacques de Bascher, Lagerfeld's partner and assistant. When Lagerfeld introduced Saint Laurent to his assistant in the early 1970s, the designer instantly fell in love with him. Jealousy led to the fact that the fashion designers never talked again.
The designer does not drink or smoke
"I don't have time for alcohol" - this is how the designer describes his attitude to alcoholic beverages. Lagerfeld also refrains from cigarettes: they, according to him, only occupy his hands when you need to sketch something.
He used to wear long flowing hair
In 1976, tired of the vagaries of tangled hair, Lagerfeld came up with an image with a pigtail and has not changed him to this day. He does not like combs and styling products. His maximum is Klorane dry shampoo.
Nicole Kidman and Ines de la Fressange, 1990
The designer started his career at Balmain
In 1955 he worked as an assistant to Pierre Balmain. Three years later, Lagerfeld was invited to the post of art director of the Fashion House Jean Patou. Since 1963, he began to work simultaneously on four brands different styles- Chloe, Krizia, Charles Jourdan and Fendi. Lagerfeld joined Chanel in 1983.
His cat Choupette gets paid
Lagerfeld Reads Thomas Mann and Joan Didion
His favorite books are the Emily Dickinson collection, the poetry of Verlaine, Rimbaud, Mallarme, the novel The Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann, and The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. He calls "The Sense of Beauty" by Santayana George his bible. Complete guide you can look at the designer's library.
He reads in bed
“I don’t like coffee tables and large format books. Books are not headstones on a table. They should open easily and be comfortable to read in bed.”
Karl Lagerfeld has the highest award of Paris
Despite the German origin of the designer, the leadership of the French capital called Lagerfeld an honorary citizen of Paris. In the spring of 2017, the mayor of the city - Anne Hidalgo - presented him with the Grand Vermeil medal, the highest award in Paris, for his contribution to the cultural image of the city.
