Karl Lagerfeld, born Karl Lagerfeldt, is a renowned German-born artist and fashion designer who has established his base in Paris. Known for his elusive nature when it comes to the details of his personal life, Lagerfeld is believed to have been born in the 1930s. His fashion career began on a prestigious note in 1955 when he was awarded an apprenticeship at Pierre Balmain. After three years, he moved on to Jean Patou, where he remained for five years and designed two haute couture collections annually.

Lagerfeld’s early designs gained attention for their controversial features such as low necklines, low backs, and short skirts. Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, these collections helped Lagerfeld establish his name in the industry and paved the way for him to work as a freelance designer for various esteemed houses including Tiziana, Chloe, Curiel, and Fendi. In 1983, Lagerfeld took over as the creative director for Chanel, a position he still holds today. Additionally, he launched his own line in 1984 and designed for it until 1997. The Lagerfeld Gallery brand was introduced in 1998 and successfully collaborated with Diesel and H&M. Notably, the Lagerfeld collection with H&M was sold out within just two days. The line was later renamed Karl Lagerfeld in 2006 and began partnerships with Macy’s and Sephora.

Apart from his design work, Lagerfeld is also highly skilled in photography. He frequently shoots ad campaigns for Chanel, Fendi, and his own line each year. Additionally, Lagerfeld has photographed models and celebrities for various magazines and has published books featuring his photos and illustrations. Lagerfeld’s distinctive image, characterized by his signature ponytail, dark glasses, and gloves, has been immortalized in various forms such as jewelry, art, dolls, stuffed animals, and puppets.

Lagerfeld’s influence extends beyond fashion and photography. Fragrances under the Karl Lagerfeld name have been available since 1978, starting with the launch of Lagerfeld Classic for men. One of his most iconic and successful fragrances for women during the 1990s was called Sun, Moon, Stars. Today, Karl Lagerfeld fragrances are produced in collaboration with Tommy Hilfiger. In total, Lagerfeld has created 37 perfumes, with the earliest edition dating back to 1975 and the most recent one released in 2022. These fragrances have been developed in collaboration with renowned perfumers, including Betty Busse, Michel Girard, Serge Majoullier, Christine Nagel, Jean-Christophe Hérault, Cecile Matton, Nicolas Beaulieu, Sophie Labbe, Christophe Raynaud, Firmenich, Pascal Gaurin, Bruno Jovanovic, Sandrine Malin, Sophia Grojsman, Emilie Bevierre-Coppermann, Mark Buxton, Olivier Cresp, Ron Winnegrad, Alexis Dadier, Alienor Massenet, and Pierre-Constantin Guéros.