Famed fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld has died at 85. Peek inside his life and career and see how he became worth an estimated $200 million.

Karl Lagerfeld died in Paris on Tuesday. He was 85 years old.
Known as the longtime creative director for Chanel and Fendi , and an icon in the fashion industry, Lagerfeld also led an eponymous fashion label.
At the time of his death, he worked on the three brands and had an estimated net worth of $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth .
Paolo Righi, CEO of the Karl Lagerfeld label, said in a statement : "He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy as one of the greatest designers of our time."
Lagerfeld had friendships with Vogue's editor-in-chief Anna Wintour , designer Donatella Versace , and artist Andy Warhol, among many, many others.
Born in Germany, Lagerfeld's career began when he took an assistant position with Pierre Balmain in 1995. Take a look at what his life and career were like right up until his death.

Karl Lagerfeld is widely regarded as one of the most iconic people in the fashion industry.

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Francois Mori / AP Images

Source: Harper's Bazaar , The New York Times

He was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in 1933 to a businessman and a lingerie saleswoman in Hamburg, Germany.

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Massimo Sambucetti/AP Images

Source: Morningstar , Biography

He has reportedly claimed to have been born in 1935.

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John van Hasselt - Corbis/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Morningstar , NPR

For years, the designer would play coy about his true age. His assistant told the Associated Press in 2019 that he preferred "to scramble the tracks on his year of birth thats part of the character."

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Massimo Sambucetti/AP Images

Source: Premium , Associated Press , NPR

When Lagerfeld was a child, his parents moved the family to a northern rural part of Germany to avoid the rising tide of Nazism.

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Evan Agostini/AP Images

Source: Biography

Lagerfeld possessed an interest in fashion at an early age, and his parents were largely supportive of his dream.

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Charles Sykes/Invision/AP Images

Source: Biography

He ultimately secured his parents permission to move to Paris at the age of 14.

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Evan Agostini/AP Images

Source: Biography

At the age of 21, he took first prize in a fashion contest for designing the best coat.

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Keystone/Stringer/Getty Images

Source: Biography , Harper's Bazaar

Lagerfeld befriended fellow up-and-coming designer and contest winner Yves Saint Laurent.

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Kevin Smith/Business Insider

Source: Biography

His career took off when he landed a junior assistant position with Pierre Balmain in 1955 ...

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Reg Lancaster/Stringer/Getty Images

Source: Harper's Bazaar

... and then a designing gig with Jean Patou.

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Keystone-France/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Biography , Harper's Bazaar

He worked with Patou for five years before temporarily trading a career in couture for one in ready-to-wear.

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Pierre Guillaud/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Biography , Harper's Bazaar , The New York Times

He bounced around transforming labels all over the industry through freelance jobs. Chlo was one that stuck in 1964 he was there for more than 10 years.

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Pierre Vauthey/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Biography , Harper's Bazaar , The New York Times

A job at Fendi followed soon after the company brought him in to revamp its "boring" brand while he was still working at Chlo.

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Vittoriano Rastelli/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: The New York Times

Through his approach of shaving, coloring, and transforming furs, he introduced the concept of "Fun Fur" which is reportedly where the iconic double-F Fendi logo got its start to high fashion.

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Venturelli/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: The New York Times

In 1982, Lagerfeld said goodbye to Chlo and in 1983 hello to the house of Chanel.

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Jacques Brinon/AP Images

Source: Harper's Bazaar , The New York Times

His first show with the house was in 1984.

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Angela Weiss/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Harper's Bazaar

He can be credited with the revival of the iconic fashion house started by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel when he reimagined its ready-to-wear line in the early 80s.

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Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Biography

He was warned against joining the house and reportedly told The New York Times, "Everybody said, Dont touch it, its dead, it will never come back. But by then I thought it was a challenge."

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Francois Mori / AP Images

Source: Business of Fashion

Lagerfeld took that challenge and ran with it. He is most known for amplifying the original design concepts put forth by Coco Chanel, adding his own flair and twists reflecting the changing times.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Francois Mori / AP Images

Source: Business of Fashion , NPR

"[Chanel was] a sleeping beauty. Not even a beautiful one. She snored," he said in the 2007 documentary "Lagerfeld Confidential." "So I was to revive a dead woman."

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Christophe Ena / AP Images

Source: CNN

NPRs Susan Stamberg once described Chanel and the Karl Lagerfeld effect in 2005. She talked about the classic and timeless appeal of the original house, adding "The real Lagerfeld part: the illusion of unraveling wool, laced with color, at the skirt and cuffs."

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Reuters

Source: NPR

In 1984 he launched his own eponymous label around the motif of "intellectual sexiness."

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Christian Vierig/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Biography

In 2005, Lagerfeld sold the brand to the Tommy Hilfiger Group, but continued as chief creative director.

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Pool Arnal/Garcia/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Business of Fashion

The first brick-and-mortar shop for the brand opened in Doha, Qatar, in 2015.

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John Phillips/Stringer/Getty Images

Source: Biography

The designers namesake brand exudes an "effortless, rock-chic" vibe somewhat different from the other labels he designed for.

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Donato Sardella/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Karl Lagerfeld the brand

In 2018 he launched a line in collaboration with model Kaia Gerber. Its been described as a mash-up of the two icons: part Malibu and part Paris.

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Francois Durand/Stringer/Getty Images

Source: Harper's BAZAAR

Despite his reputation, Lagerfeld wasnt opposed to working with brands considered to be out of the realm of luxury or high fashion.

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Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Images

Source: Biography

In 2004 he collaborated with H&M, which set the stage for future fast-fashion collaborations with brands and designers like Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons, Versace, Maison Martin Margiela, and most recently, Jeremy Scotts Moschino.

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AP Photo/Mark Lennihan

Source: CNN , NPR , W Magazine

And in 2011 he designed a capsule collection for Macys.

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Yelp/Carroll N.

Source: Fashionista , Biography

Also in 2011, Lagerfeld designed a glassware line for Orrefors.

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Orrefors/YouTube

Source: Architectural Digest

And, he posed for Playboy in 1987.

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-/AFP/Getty Images

Source: Harper's BAZAAR

Throughout it all, he was known as both a collector and an auctioneer hed gather up things like furniture, books, and real estate for their connection to the aesthetic of their time, and then auction them off in a seemingly emotionally disconnected way.

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Jonathan Short/Invision/AP Images

Source: The New York Times

According to The Times, people who knew him said he did the same with some personal relationships.

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Tony Gutierrez/AP Images

Source: The New York Times

His spending habits landed him the label of a "squanderer." To that he said: "If you throw money out of the window throw it out with joy. Dont say: One shouldnt do that that is bourgeois."

BusinessInsider USA Images

Christophe Ena/AP Images

Source: NPR , Vogue

He also found himself at the center of controversy when it came to the way he spoke. He voiced views on peoples appearance, models, and the #MeToo movement.

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Remy de la Mauviniere/AP Images

Source: NPR , Model Alliance , Numro

He also reportedly took a dig at Heidi Klum in 2009 when he said, "Heidi is no runway model. She is simply too heavy and has too big a bust. And she always grins so stupidly. That is not avant-garde that is commercial!"

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Reuters

Source: Fashionista

He was also critical of his own weight at times.

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Martin Meissner / AP Images

Source: The Telegraph

Around the early 2000s he wanted to wear suits by Hedi Slimane which had a slim fit so he lost 92 pounds in a year.

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Lefteris Pitarakis/AP Images

Source: The Telegraph , The New Yorker

In fact, he ended up writing a book about his diet titled "The Karl Lagerfeld Diet." In the book he talked about his love for Diet Coke and toast, calling toast "the height of luxury" and "the most delicious thing in the world."

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BERTRAND LANGLOIS/Stringer/Getty Images

Source: INSIDER , The Guardian , Harper's Bazaar

His history of working with fur has also placed him at the center of some animal-rights controversy.

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Ramon Espinosa / AP Images

Source: The New York Times , PEOPLE

PETA referred to the designer as its "nemesis" in a tweet that was meant to announce the "end of an era" that celebrated fur in fashion, and to send condolences to his family after his passing.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Lionel Cironneau/AP Images

Source: PETA UK Twitter

His career extended into the entertainment industry as well he served as a costume designer, director, actor, and even writer in a number of films.

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harles Sykes/Invision/AP Images

Source: IMDB

In the world of fashion, Lagerfeld was known for his timely taste and of-the-moment designs. But he also appreciated and paid homage to trends and styles of the past.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Valery Hache/AP Images

Source: Biography

He was reportedly known for shopping at flea markets where hed buy old wedding dresses, deconstruct them, and then reimagine them completely.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Keystone-France/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Biography

He cultivated a specific persona for himself that became iconic. His dark glasses and ponytail, in particular, date back to the late 70s.

BusinessInsider USA Images

Christophe Ena/AP Images

Source: Harper's Bazaar , Vogue

"I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that," he said. "It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long."

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Francois Mori / AP Images

Source: Vogue

In terms of his personal life, Lagerfeld had a 18-year relationship with Jacques de Bascher. De Bascher died from complications from AIDS in 1989.

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Michel Euler/AP Images

Source: The Mirror

The fashion designer is survived by his Instagram-famous cat, Choupette. In 2013, Lagerfeld told CNN, "There is no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals ... I never thought I would fall in love like this with a cat."

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Evan Agostini/Invision/AP Images

Source: CNN

He has said Choupette is the more famous of the two of them: "She has become the most famous cat in the world. I even get propositioned by pet food companies and things like that, but its out of the question. Im commercial. Shes not. Shes spoiled to death. Obviously."

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Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images

Source: Vogue

He said the Birman breed cat, who has 156,000 followers on Instagram, would be one of the heirs to his fortune, adding, "Dont worry, there is enough for everyone."

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Jens Kalaene/picture alliance via Getty Images

Source: INSIDER , Choupette Lagerfeld Instagram

His death sparked tributes from fashion icons around the world.

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Francois Mori / AP Images

Source: Harper's Bazaar

"Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House of Chanels success throughout the world," Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer said in a statement to CNN.

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John van Hasselt - Corbis/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: CNN

Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of Fendi owner LVMH said in a statement: "With the passing of Karl Lagerfeld we have lost a creative genius who helped to make Paris the fashion capital of the world and Fendi one of the most innovative Italian houses ... We owe him a great deal: his taste and talent were the most exceptional I have ever known."

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LIONEL BONAVENTURE/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: NPR

Donatella Versace wrote in an Instagram caption: "Karl your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I. We will never forget your incredible talent and endless inspiration. We were always learning from you."

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Patrick McMullan/Contributor/Getty Images

Source: Donatella Versace Instagram

Famed fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld has died at 85. Peek inside his life and career and see how he became worth an estimated $200 million.

Karl Lagerfeld is widely regarded as one of the most iconic people in the fashion industry.

He was born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt in 1933 to a businessman and a lingerie saleswoman in Hamburg, Germany.

He has reportedly claimed to have been born in 1935.

For years, the designer would play coy about his true age. His assistant told the Associated Press in 2019 that he preferred "to scramble the tracks on his year of birth thats part of the character."

When Lagerfeld was a child, his parents moved the family to a northern rural part of Germany to avoid the rising tide of Nazism.

Lagerfeld possessed an interest in fashion at an early age, and his parents were largely supportive of his dream.

He ultimately secured his parents permission to move to Paris at the age of 14.

At the age of 21, he took first prize in a fashion contest for designing the best coat.

Lagerfeld befriended fellow up-and-coming designer and contest winner Yves Saint Laurent.

His career took off when he landed a junior assistant position with Pierre Balmain in 1955 ...

... and then a designing gig with Jean Patou.

He worked with Patou for five years before temporarily trading a career in couture for one in ready-to-wear.

He bounced around transforming labels all over the industry through freelance jobs. Chlo was one that stuck in 1964 he was there for more than 10 years.

A job at Fendi followed soon after the company brought him in to revamp its "boring" brand while he was still working at Chlo.

Through his approach of shaving, coloring, and transforming furs, he introduced the concept of "Fun Fur" which is reportedly where the iconic double-F Fendi logo got its start to high fashion.

In 1982, Lagerfeld said goodbye to Chlo and in 1983 hello to the house of Chanel.

His first show with the house was in 1984.

He can be credited with the revival of the iconic fashion house started by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel when he reimagined its ready-to-wear line in the early 80s.

He was warned against joining the house and reportedly told The New York Times, "Everybody said, Dont touch it, its dead, it will never come back. But by then I thought it was a challenge."

Lagerfeld took that challenge and ran with it. He is most known for amplifying the original design concepts put forth by Coco Chanel, adding his own flair and twists reflecting the changing times.

"[Chanel was] a sleeping beauty. Not even a beautiful one. She snored," he said in the 2007 documentary "Lagerfeld Confidential." "So I was to revive a dead woman."

NPRs Susan Stamberg once described Chanel and the Karl Lagerfeld effect in 2005. She talked about the classic and timeless appeal of the original house, adding "The real Lagerfeld part: the illusion of unraveling wool, laced with color, at the skirt and cuffs."

In 1984 he launched his own eponymous label around the motif of "intellectual sexiness."

In 2005, Lagerfeld sold the brand to the Tommy Hilfiger Group, but continued as chief creative director.

The first brick-and-mortar shop for the brand opened in Doha, Qatar, in 2015.

The designers namesake brand exudes an "effortless, rock-chic" vibe somewhat different from the other labels he designed for.

In 2018 he launched a line in collaboration with model Kaia Gerber. Its been described as a mash-up of the two icons: part Malibu and part Paris.

Despite his reputation, Lagerfeld wasnt opposed to working with brands considered to be out of the realm of luxury or high fashion.

In 2004 he collaborated with H&M, which set the stage for future fast-fashion collaborations with brands and designers like Stella McCartney, Comme des Garcons, Versace, Maison Martin Margiela, and most recently, Jeremy Scotts Moschino.

And in 2011 he designed a capsule collection for Macys.

Also in 2011, Lagerfeld designed a glassware line for Orrefors.

And, he posed for Playboy in 1987.

Throughout it all, he was known as both a collector and an auctioneer hed gather up things like furniture, books, and real estate for their connection to the aesthetic of their time, and then auction them off in a seemingly emotionally disconnected way.

According to The Times, people who knew him said he did the same with some personal relationships.

His spending habits landed him the label of a "squanderer." To that he said: "If you throw money out of the window throw it out with joy. Dont say: One shouldnt do that that is bourgeois."

He also found himself at the center of controversy when it came to the way he spoke. He voiced views on peoples appearance, models, and the #MeToo movement.

He also reportedly took a dig at Heidi Klum in 2009 when he said, "Heidi is no runway model. She is simply too heavy and has too big a bust. And she always grins so stupidly. That is not avant-garde that is commercial!"

He was also critical of his own weight at times.

Around the early 2000s he wanted to wear suits by Hedi Slimane which had a slim fit so he lost 92 pounds in a year.

In fact, he ended up writing a book about his diet titled "The Karl Lagerfeld Diet." In the book he talked about his love for Diet Coke and toast, calling toast "the height of luxury" and "the most delicious thing in the world."

His history of working with fur has also placed him at the center of some animal-rights controversy.

PETA referred to the designer as its "nemesis" in a tweet that was meant to announce the "end of an era" that celebrated fur in fashion, and to send condolences to his family after his passing.

His career extended into the entertainment industry as well he served as a costume designer, director, actor, and even writer in a number of films.

In the world of fashion, Lagerfeld was known for his timely taste and of-the-moment designs. But he also appreciated and paid homage to trends and styles of the past.

He was reportedly known for shopping at flea markets where hed buy old wedding dresses, deconstruct them, and then reimagine them completely.

He cultivated a specific persona for himself that became iconic. His dark glasses and ponytail, in particular, date back to the late 70s.

"I am like a caricature of myself, and I like that," he said. "It is like a mask. And for me the Carnival of Venice lasts all year long."

In terms of his personal life, Lagerfeld had a 18-year relationship with Jacques de Bascher. De Bascher died from complications from AIDS in 1989.

The fashion designer is survived by his Instagram-famous cat, Choupette. In 2013, Lagerfeld told CNN, "There is no marriage, yet, for human beings and animals ... I never thought I would fall in love like this with a cat."

He has said Choupette is the more famous of the two of them: "She has become the most famous cat in the world. I even get propositioned by pet food companies and things like that, but its out of the question. Im commercial. Shes not. Shes spoiled to death. Obviously."

He said the Birman breed cat, who has 156,000 followers on Instagram, would be one of the heirs to his fortune, adding, "Dont worry, there is enough for everyone."

His death sparked tributes from fashion icons around the world.

"Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House of Chanels success throughout the world," Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer said in a statement to CNN.

Donatella Versace wrote in an Instagram caption: "Karl your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I. We will never forget your incredible talent and endless inspiration. We were always learning from you."

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