How well do you know Karl Lagerfeld?

Karl Lagerfeld: A Fashion Icon

• Karl Lagerfeld was a German fashion designer, creative director, artist, and photographer.

• He worked for several top fashion houses including Balmain, Patou, and Chloé, before joining Chanel in 1983.

• As the creative director of Chanel from 1983 until his death, he oversaw every aspect of the fashion house's creative output.

• He was instrumental in revitalizing the Chanel brand, helping it regain its position as one of the top fashion houses in the world.

• Lagerfeld was also creative director of the Italian fur and leather goods fashion house Fendi, as well as his own eponymous fashion label.

• His vision and legacy continue to influence the fashion industry and inspire designers around the world.

• Lagerfeld was recognized for his signature white hair, black sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and high, starched, detachable collars.

• He was born on September 10, 1933, in Hamburg, Germany, to Elisabeth and businessman Otto Lagerfeld.

• Lagerfeld's family name has been spelled both Lagerfeldt (with a "t") and Lagerfeld.

• Lagerfeld began his own eponymous brand in 1984, focused on "intellectual sexiness."

• Lagerfeld collaborated with Diesel on a special denim collection in 2002 and launched a new collection for men and women dubbed K Karl Lagerfeld in 2006.

• The final Chanel collection completed before his death had an Alpine theme of après-ski clothing.The Life and Legacy of Karl Lagerfeld

• Lagerfeld created a teddy bear in his likeness produced by Steiff in an edition of 2,500 that sold for $1,500.

• Lagerfeld lent his voice to the French animated film, Totally Spies! The Movie.

• In 2013, Lagerfeld directed the short film Once Upon a Time... in the Cité du Cinéma, Saint-Denis, by Luc Besson, featuring Keira Knightley in the role of Coco Chanel.

• Lagerfeld was recognized for his signature white hair, black sunglasses, fingerless gloves, and high, starched detachable collars.

• Lagerfeld had an 18-year relationship with Jacques de Bascher, a French aristocrat, model, and socialite, who died of AIDS in 1989.

• Lagerfeld lived in numerous homes over the years, including an apartment in Paris, a chateau in Brittany, and a house in Vermont.

• Lagerfeld owned a red point Birman cat named Choupette, which he indicated he would marry if it were legal.

• Lagerfeld lost 42 kg (93 lb) in 2001, following a diet created for him by Dr. Jean-Claude Houdret, which led to a book called The Karl Lagerfeld Diet.

• Lagerfeld was a passionate book collector and amassed one of the largest personal libraries in the world.

• Lagerfeld died on February 19, 2019, from complications of pancreatic cancer.

• A memorial event called "Karl For Ever" was held on June 20, 2019, at the Grand Palais in Paris, featuring a career retrospective highlighting Lagerfeld's tenures at Chloé, Fendi, and Chanel.

• Lagerfeld faced many controversies during his career, including accusations of being fatphobic, Islamophobic, and of opposing the Me Too movement.