Karl Lagerfeld is arguably, the ultimate fashion designer. Karl’s ever-present ponytail, fan and sunglasses are iconic, and his personal preference for bespoke white shirts by Hilditch & Key, Chrome Hearts jewellery and Dior Homme suits is well-documented. Born in Hamburg in 1938, Karl moved to Paris at the age of 14. At just 17 he landed his first job, at Pierre Balmain, moving to Jean Patou three years later. In 1965, Karl began to design for Fendi, and in 1983 was appointed artistic director of Chanel. From 1963–83, and later from 1992–97, he designed for Chloé. In 1984, he took on yet another venture, designing his own eponymous label, Karl Lagerfeld, which was later superseded by Lagerfeld Gallery and a diffusion line K Karl Lagerfeld. In addition to ready-to-wear collections, Lagerfeld Gallery was a platform for his myriad passions, including photography (he often shoots his own advertising campaigns, along with editorial for numerous magazines, including the cover of i-D’s The White Trash Issue, May 2007), books (he has his own imprint, 7L, and a personal library of 230,000 volumes), perfume, art and magazines. In December 2004 it was announced that Tommy Hilfiger had purchased Lagerfeld Gallery. This followed a phenomenally successful link-up with mass market retailer H&M in autumn 2004, when shoppers clamoured for a garment designed by an acknowledged maestro of fashion. Karl’s artistic direction continues to build on Chanel’s empire in the 21st century, including epic commercials for Chanel No.5 starring Nicole Kidman, Kiera Knightly and Audrey Tautou, and a Mobile Art project designed by Zaha Hadid that travelled from Tokyo to New York (2008). Terry Jones interviewed Karl in his studio for the The Blood is Thicker than Water Issue, Fall 2009. For Spring 2012′s The Royalty Issue, Karl snapped himself in his own imitable style for the cover and headed i-N conversation with i-D Fashion Director, Charlotte Stockdale. Karl continues to design at Fendi and Chanel, and for his own line. Between creating new labels, sketching on his iPads, filming, reading books, it’s hard to believe Karl still finds time to catch his precious eight hours sleep a night.
