He was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in 1933 to a businessman and a lingerie saleswoman in Hamburg, Germany.
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Supply: Morningstar, Biography
He reportedly claimed to have been born in 1935.
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Supply: Morningstar, NPR
For years, the designer would play coy about his true age. His assistant advised the Related Press in 2019 that he most popular “to scramble the tracks on his 12 months of start — that is a part of the character.”
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Supply: Premium, Related Press, NPR
When Lagerfeld was a toddler, his dad and mom moved the household to a northern rural a part of Germany to keep away from the rising tide of Nazism.
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Supply: Biography
Lagerfeld possessed an curiosity in vogue at an early age, and his dad and mom have been largely supportive of his dream.
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Supply: Biography
He in the end secured his dad and mom’ permission to maneuver to Paris on the age of 14.
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Supply: Biography
On the age of 21, he took first prize in a vogue contest for designing one of the best coat.
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Supply: Biography, Harper’s Bazaar
Lagerfeld befriended fellow up-and-coming designer and contest winner Yves Saint Laurent.
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Supply: Biography
His profession took off when he landed a junior assistant place with Pierre Balmain in 1955 …
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Supply: Harper’s Bazaar
… after which a designing gig with Jean Patou.
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Supply: Biography, Harper’s Bazaar
He labored with Patou for 5 years earlier than quickly buying and selling a profession in couture for one in ready-to-wear.
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Supply: Biography, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Instances
He bounced round remodeling labels everywhere in the trade by way of freelance jobs. Chloé was one which caught in 1964 — he was there for greater than 10 years.
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Supply: Biography, Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Instances
A job at Fendi adopted quickly after — the corporate introduced him in to revamp its “boring” model whereas he was nonetheless working at Chloé.
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Supply: The New York Instances
By means of his strategy of shaving, coloring, and remodeling furs, he launched the idea of “Enjoyable Fur” — which is reportedly the place the enduring double-F Fendi emblem received its begin — to excessive vogue.
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Supply: The New York Instances
In 1982, Lagerfeld mentioned goodbye to Chloé and — in 1983 — whats up to the home of Chanel.
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Supply: Harper’s Bazaar, The New York Instances
His first present with the home was in 1984.
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Supply: Harper’s Bazaar
He might be credited with the revival of the enduring vogue home began by Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel when he reimagined its ready-to-wear line within the early ’80s.
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Supply: Biography
He was warned in opposition to becoming a member of the home and reportedly advised The New York Instances, “All people mentioned, ‘Do not contact it, it is useless, it is going to by no means come again.’ However by then I believed it was a problem.”
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Supply: Enterprise of Style
In 2004, he collaborated with H&M, which set the stage for future fast-fashion collaborations with manufacturers and designers like Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons, Versace, Maison Martin Margiela, and Jeremy Scott’s Moschino.
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Supply: CNN, NPR, W Journal
His historical past of working with fur additionally positioned him on the middle of some animal-rights controversy.
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Supply: The New York Instances, PEOPLE