FILE PHOTO - German designer Karl Lagerfeld appears at the end of his Spring/Summer 2013 women's ready-to-wear fashion show for French fashion house Chanel during Paris fashion week, Oct 2, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]
PARIS — Chanel's iconic couturier, Karl Lagerfeld, whose accomplished designs as well as trademark white ponytail, high starched collars and dark enigmatic glasses dominated high fashion for the last 50 years, has died. He was around 85 years old.
Such was the enigma surrounding the German-born designer that even his age was a point of mystery for decades, with reports he had two birth certificates, one dated 1933 and the other 1938.
Chanel said Lagerfeld died early Tuesday.
Lagerfeld was of the most hardworking figures in the fashion world holding down the top design jobs at LVMH-owned luxury label Fendi from 1977, and Paris' family-owned power-house Chanel in 1983.
Lagerfeld's designs quickly trickled down to low-end retailers, giving him an almost unprecedented impact on the entire fashion industry.
