RIP Karl Lagerfeld: Facts about a fashion legend

His sexuality was never an issue - Lagerfeld had a great upbringing, and his parents never gave him a hard time about being gay, setting an example of the brilliance that can flow when not inhibited by prejudice. "It was not even a subject. My mother said it was just like your hair color," he said in an interview.

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He was not only a Chanel employee - In the '80s, around the same time that he was named the Art Director of Chanel, he also created his own eponymous fashion line, and he was also working with Fendi.

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He wasn't afraid of scandal - In 1993, Lagerfeld reportedly hired strippers and porn stars to model his black-and-white collection for Fendi. It was so scandalous that Anna Wintour is said to have walked out of the runway show.

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He dropped the "t" from his last name for business - Born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt, the icon dropped the “t” from his last name early in his career, reportedly to make it sound “more commercial.” He was always brand-focused!

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He came from humble beginnings - Lagerfeld’s father, Otto Ludwig Lagerfeldt, owned a company that exported evaporated milk, and his mother Elizabeth, worked as a lingerie salesperson.

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He had a keen eye - Lagerfeld chose Blake Lively to be Chanel’s ambassador for the Mademoiselle handbag collection. He saw the "American dream girl" in her.

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He was spoiled, but for good reason - Lagerfeld repeatedly spoke about his spoiled childhood, but he explained, "As a child I was told by my mother, you must learn nothing. You always have to depend on people, because then you have to make an effort to have the money that they will do it for you." He says that's why he only knows how to design.

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He was part of a huge wave of stylish talent - Lagerfeld won a design competition in 1955, taking first place in the coat category. After the contest, he met a fellow winner of another category, who turned out to be none other than Yves Saint Laurent.

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He brought Chanel back from the brink of death - With a new and popular fashion line of ready-to-wear clothes, Lagerfeld is credited with giving new life to Chanel. He's also credited with integrating the famous interlocked "CC" monogram into a styled pattern.

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He opened a bookstore - The designer opened a book shop in Paris in 1999 called 7L, reportedly to sell a personally-curated collection of books on fine art, fashion, architecture, food, photography, and design.

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He dabbled in cinematic costume design - Lagerfeld wore the hat of costume designer for 16 film productions, including the 1988 French Oscar-winner, 'Babette’s Feast.'

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He also tried his hand at directing - In 2013, the designer directed the short film 'Once Upon a Time…' which featured Keira Knightley as Coco Chanel and Clotilde Hesme as her aunt Adrienne Chanel, telling the story of Chanel opening her first shop in France.

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His incredible weight loss - In 2001, Lagerfeld stunned the fashion world by losing 92 lbs (42 kg) in just 13 months. He explained that he wanted to dress differently, and even wrote a book about it called 'The Karl Lagerfeld Diet.'

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How did he keep his looks? - He largely abstained from alcohol, which he said made him sleepy, and cigarettes, because he needed his hands for sketching. He also attributed his ageless skin to washing it every day before bed.

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He never blinked an eye at competitors - He said in an interview, "the people who ask themselves if they could do better than me, they all failed. I don’t give you names because they are forgotten."

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The ponytail - Lagerfeld wore his hair in his signature ponytail since 1976. If that doesn't prove that classic never dies, then the designer's legacy will.

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RIP Karl Lagerfeld: Facts about a fashion legend

The fashion icon passed away on February 19

19/02/19 | StarsInsider

CELEBRITY Karl lagerfeld

After more than three decades as the face of the French design house Chanel, the white-haired, shade-wearing icon has passed away. On February 19, at 85 years old, the designer reportedly died after struggling through a period of illness that had lasted for weeks. He had missed a couple of Chanel's haute couture shows, which was the first time he had ever missed giving his signature catwalk bow at the end of a Chanel show. Click through for some fashionable facts about the icon.