Karl Lagerfeld‘s influence in the fashion realm is incomparable.
The designer, who died today at age 85, was near-synonymous with Chanel, working also for Fendi and his eponymous brand. But apart from his design, Lagerfeld also developed a mystique around himself — becoming known for his signature sunglasses, his obsession with Diet Coke and his off-color quotes about style and pop culture.
Of course, his curated image took a while to develop — and early images of Lagerfeld often show him sans opaque shades.
![Karl Lagerfeld, no glasses, Portrait of fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in pinstriped suitKarl Lagerfeld, Paris](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/karl-lagerfeld-36.jpg)
Lagerfeld’s career in fashion began in 1965, when the young West German was hired by French label Chloe. He became creative director of Fendi, a title he held ever since, the same year. Minus an eight-year absence in the ’80s, Lagerfeld worked with Chloe until 1992, crafting a reputation for designs that didn’t take themselves too seriously and runway shows that never failed to entertain.
![Designer Karl Lagerfeld at work in his atelier in Paris. Chloe by Karl Lagerfeld(Chloe) Karl Lagerfeld, Paris - Paris, Paris - 12 Feb 1977](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/karl-lagerfeld-52.jpg)
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The fashion legend became creative director of Chanel in 1983, where he turned the French brand into a massive entity with billions of dollars in annual revenue.
![LAGERFELD Chanel fashion house designer Karl Lagerfeld acknowledges applause after he presented the 1998 Spring Summer ready-to-wear collection in ParisFRANCE FASHION CHANEL, PARIS, France](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/karl-lagerfeld-42.jpg)
Lagerfeld was known for his ability to find muses throughout his career — from big name supermodels like Cindy Crawford, Claudia Schiffer and Linda Evangelista during the ’90s to current famous faces like Cara Delevingne, Kendall Jenner and Kristen Stewart.
![Cara Delevingne and Karl Lagerfeld in the front rowChanel show, Spring Summer 2016, Haute Couture, Paris Fashion Week, France - 26 Jan 2016](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/karl-lagerfeld-26.jpg?w=682)
While Lagerfeld’s eponymous label never gained as much notoriety as Chanel and Fendi, he undoubtedly turned his likeness into a selling point. The icon published a 2002 book titled “The Karl Lagerfeld Diet” about how he lost 92 pounds. He worked also as a photographer, taking editorial images for publications like Harper’s Bazaar and V, as well as snapping campaign photos for the houses he directed.
![KARL LAGERFELD AND STELLA TENNANTAutumn Winter Fashion Shows, Paris, France - 1995](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/karl-lagerfeld-02.jpg)
The Karl Lagerfeld brand garnered recent buzz with his Karl x Kaia capsule collection, designed in collaboration with 17-year-old supermodel Kaia Gerber.
![Kaia Gerber and Karl LagerfeldKarl x Kaia collaboration capsule collection, Spring Summer 2019, Paris Fashion Week, France - 02 Oct 2018](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/karl-lagerfeld-56.jpg)
Illness prevented the fashion stalwart from attending his most recent couture show for Chanel, and his final appearance at a runway show for the label came in December, when he took his bow alongside successor Virginie Viard at the Métiers d’Art show.
![Virgine Viard, Karl Lagerfeld and Hudson Kroenig on the catwalkChanel Metiers d'Art 2018-2019 show, Runway, New York, USA - 04 Dec 2018](https://footwearnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/karl-lagerfeld-57.jpg)
Click through the gallery to see more images of the legendary designer over the years.
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