Life and times of celebrated fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld
German fashion designer, artist, and photographer Karl Lagerfeld poses next to a painting of his cat "Choupette" during the inauguration of the show "Corsa Karl and Choupette" at the Palazzo Italia in Berli. PHOTO| FILE| AFP
What you need to know:
- According to Celebrity Net Worth, Karl ventured into the fashion world professionally at the tender age of 22.
- He re-invented his look in 2002 after losing 42 kilogrammes and published a book titled The 3D diet.
Tributes continued pouring in on Wednesday following news of renowned fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld's death. According to a report by the French media, the designer died on Tuesday morning after being admitted in hospital the night before.
Although the cause of death remains unclear, BBC News reports that rumours of his ill health had swirled for several weeks after he missed a number of events - including Chanel's spring/summer show last month.
Family, friends and fans continue to eulogise the fallen German fashion designer.
Karl was born in Hamburg, Germany, in 1938. According to Celebrity Net Worth, he ventured into the fashion world professionally at the age of 22.
He established his own fashion design company, Karl Lagerfeld, in 1984 that went ahead to become a global distributor of men, women and children's wear. BBC News reports that he continued to work in various capacities, including as a creative director for Chanel until his death.
According to the biography on his website, Karl re-invented his look in 2002 after losing 42 kilogrammes. He then published a book titled The 3D diet, which has sold tens of thousands of copies across the world.
An article on Celebrity Net Worth quote’s Karl worth at $300 million (approximately Sh30 billion) at the time of his death. It further reports that Karl had life-time contracts with fashion powerhouses Chanel and Fendi, which earned him a total minimum of $50 million (Sh5 billion) per year in income.
He created a design for US First Lady Melania Trump for her first official White House appearance, according to a tribute tweet posted by the First Lady and published by BBC News.
In the tweet, she shared sketches of the design along with her tribute that read: "Today the world lost a creative genius. We will miss you Karl! #RIPKarlLagerfeld."
In addition to a glowing legacy in the fashion world, Karl leaves behind his beloved cat Choupette, who has a wide following online. According to TMZ, Karl has had the cat since 2011 and is reported to have famously said that he would marry his pet if it were legal.
