Karl Lagerfeld dies aged 85: Iconic Chanel boss passes away after 'weeks of ill heath'

19 February 2019, 11:51 | Updated: 19 February 2019, 14:37

Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has died aged 85
Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has died aged 85. Picture: Getty

Chanel creative direct Karl Lagerfeld has died at the age of 85.

Karl Lagerfeld has passed away after weeks of ill health.

The 85-year-old fashion designer died on Tuesday, February 19th, French magazine Closer reports.

The news comes after he missed two haute couture shows in Paris on January 22, with the company at the time claiming he was "feeling tired".

Karl Lagerfeld held the position of creative director at Chanel for more than 30 years, and produced as many as eight collections a year for the French fashion house which was founded by Coco Chanel.

He is best known for his black suit, white hair slicked into a pony tail, and his cat Choupette.

It had already been speculated that Virginie Viard, director of the creative studio of the house of Chanel, would be picked to be his successor.

Over the years, Karl has used many celebrities as muses including Keira Knightley, Kirsten Stewart, Cara Delevingne and more recently Kendall Jenner.

Both fans and celebrities alike have been taking to their social media to leave tributes to the designer.

Victoria Beckham was among the first as she wrote: "So incredibly sad to hear this. Karl was a genius and always so kind and generous to me both personally and professionally. RIP x vb"

More news to follow...