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Lagerfeld's high-flying career began in 1954 after winning a Woolmark Prize for outerwear (Yves Saint Laurent won in the dress category). He was subsequently hired by judging panel member Pierre Balmain.
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Between 2000 to 2001, Lagerfeld lost a reported 42kg. His goal? Fitting into Hedi Slimane's skinny-cut Dior Homme suits.
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Chanel's runway sets have become fashion legend, even getting the documentary treatment in Netflix's 7 Days Out. Here, the SS06 backdrop that was among the earliest setups of truly epic proportions.
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High-low collabs are a dime a dozen these days, but despite his rarefied credentials, Lagerfeld was one of the first major names to embrace H&M in 2004.
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Long before the wider world fell under China's economic and cultural spell, Fendi staged a mind-blowing show on the Great Wall for SS08.
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In Matt Tyrnauer's 2008 doco Valentino: The Last Emperor, Lagerfeld was filmed congratulating the titular, retiring designer — and throwing some delightfully grandiose shade at their successors.
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Famously picky and unbending in matters of style, Lagerfeld made headlines in 2008 by wearing a gilet jaune in widely-publicised ads for road safety.
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Lagerfeld was among the first fashion designers to recognise the power of personal image. His Steiff-made, limited-edition teddy bear doppelganger from 2008 was joined by a plush Choupette in 2017.
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In 2011, Lagerfeld made peace with former muse Ines de la Fressange after almost 20 years of feuding, culminating in the model closing Chanel's SS11 show.
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Lagerfeld sent out *two* finale brides for Chanel's SS13 Haute Couture show, as a statement of support for marriage equality.
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He may not have been a digital native, but Lagerfeld shot his kitten Choupette to social media stardom in 2015 with anecdotes of the feline's lavish lifestyle.
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Fendi's 2016 Haute Couture show took place *within* Rome's Trevi Fountain, after a multimillion-euro restoration effort by the brand – the perfect storm of heritage and newness.
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Chanel presciently flew guests into Havana for its resort 2017 show, during a pivotal moment in Cuba's relationship with the wider world.
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As one of Lagerfeld's most powerful and enduring supporters, Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour — with very few exceptions — reliably wore Chanel to the annual Met Gala.
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Lagerfeld's final Chanel Haute Couture bride was Vittoria Ceretti in a bejewelled cutout swimsuit, and a swimcap with trailing veil for SS19 (the designer was absent from the show).
Karl Lagerfeld, 1933-2019: A review of the legendary designer's most unforgettable moments and accomplishments
Irreplaceable
With the passing of Karl Lagerfeld — iconic creative director of Fendi and Chanel — earlier today, the Golden Age of Haute Couture has finally come to a close. It's difficult to imagine anyone ever matching his soaring talent, prolific output and otherworldly persona; the world is a fundamentally different one than that in which Lagerfeld started his career. Whether you loved him or loathed him — the calculatedly-controversial designer intended it that way — his contributions to fashion, economics and popular culture are indisputable. In tribute, we've assembled some of the most revealing high points of Lagerfeld's extraordinary life in the gallery above; truly, they broke the mold with this one. Rest in peace.
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