Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Otto Lagerfeld, the famous German fashion designer, was born on the 10th of September 1933. Karl Lagerfeld has been noted in the world of high fashion for the success of his own label as well as for the Italian house Fendi, a leading producer of luxury fashion items. Aside from managing his own label, Karl Lagerfeld has also collaborated with various names in the field in order to launch a number of successful fashion and art related subjects. He currently serves as the creative director and head designer for Chanel, one of the most iconic labels in the fashion industry.
Karl Lagerfeld’s father, Otto Lagerfeldt was reported to have earned his fortune by introducing condensed milk to Germany. His mother, Elisabeth Bahlmann, on the other hand had worked as a lingerie saleswoman in Berlin.
After moving to Paris in 1953, Karl Lagerfeld found himself working as a draftsman for several fashion houses. At the age of 22, Karl Lagerfeld’s entry for a coat design had won second place in a competition that was sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat. As a result, he was invited to join Pierre Balmain as an apprentice.
After working for three years at Balmain, Karl Lagerfeld moved to work for Jean Patou. For the next five years, he was busy coming up with designs for two annual haute couture collections. He presented his first collection under the name of Roland Karl in July 1958.
After a series of collections, Karl Lagerfeld left Jean Patou in 1962 and began to pursue his career as a freelance designer. He was able to work for some of the most established names in the industry including Repetto, Mario Valentino, as well as for Monoprix. During this time, Karl Lagerfeld used a little financial help from his family to set up his own shop in Paris.
Nowadays, Karl Lagerfeld is known as an international fashion icon. He has recently signed an exclusive deal with the DIH or the Dubai Infinity Holdings. The deal leaves him in charge of designing limited edition homes for the world’s dedicated fashion island, the Isla Moda.