Fashion legend Karl Lagerfeld, the rockstar designer behind the rebirth of Chanel and Fendi, has died in Paris. He was 85.
According to French magazine Closer, the German-born designer was not keeping well and breathed his last on Tuesday in a Paris hospital.
The cause of his death was not immediately known.
The design supremo, who was equally popular for his personal style and was always photographed in his trademark white collared shirt, wide black tie, black sport coat, black glasses, fingerless black leather gloves and silver ponytail, leaves a lasting legacy behind.
He is survived by his beloved cat, Choupette, who has its Instagram handle.
Lagerfeld's fashion career in high fashion in the 1950s as Pierre Balmain's assistant.
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During his time with the popular label the designer won top prize in the coats category at an International Wool Secretariat design competition with Yves Saint Laurent.
In the 1970s, he began collaborating with Roman haute couture house Curiel, as well as Fendi, for which he served as a creative director up till now. He also gave the Italian brand its iconic 'F and reverse F' logo.
In 1983, Lagerfeld began his most prominent role by taking over as Chanel's creative director. The brand, 10 years after Coco Chanel's death, was in a crisis when Lagerfeld came onboard.
It was a role that not only brought Lagerfeld international fame but also helped Chanel regain its top position as a uber luxury label.
In his close to four-decade-long helm of Chanel, the designer stayed true to the design sensibilities of founder Coco Chanel by incorporating the once-revolutionary silhouettes of the 1920s and 1930s and blending it with current, marketable elements, like the interlocked "CC" monograph.
The news of Lagerfeld's death left many in the fashion and cinema industry heartbroken.
Fashion designer Victoria Beckham remembered him as a "kind and generous" soul.
"So incredibly sad to hear this. Karl was a genius and always so kind and generous to me both personally and professionally," she tweeted.
"'Evolution is the secret for the next step' - rest in peace, Karl Lagerfeld," her husband David Beckham added.
Donatella Versace remembered Lagerfeld as a genius who touched many lives.
"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," she tweeted.
Indian fashion designer Manish Malhotra said Lagerfeld's death was the "end of an era"