Talk:Karl Lagerfeld

Fair use rationale for Image:Karl Lagerfeld diet.jpg
Image:Karl Lagerfeld diet.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in Wikipedia articles constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

If there is other other fair use media, consider checking that you have specified the fair use rationale on the other images used on this page. Note that any fair use images uploaded after 4 May, 2006, and lacking such an explanation will be deleted one week after they have been uploaded, as described on criteria for speedy deletion. If you have any questions please ask them at the Media copyright questions page. Thank you.BetacommandBot 16:08, 4 June 2007 (UTC)

Working life
In the Personal info Fendi should also be added except Karl Lagerfeld and Chanel, as he is head designer there too. I don't know how too edit this myself.

International fame (1982–present) Section needs to be expanded for 30+ year timeline. MorningMrBond (talk) 03:28, 3 October 2010 (UTC) (new user)

We could expand to include that Lagerfeld is credited for designing the Fendi logo? Sources for this are here — Preceding unsigned comment added by Sprgqh (talk • contribs) 21:35, 5 April 2021 (UTC)

Personal life
Is the weight loss and ipod trivia all that is known about his adult personal life?--92.226.137.217 (talk) 15:55, 19 March 2008 (UTC)

Under the heading "Early life" it is stated that Karls lastname was Lagerfeldt and that he later changed it. Yet in the first section it says Karl Lagerfeld (born Karl Otto Lagerfeld; September 10, 1933). It should be (born Karl Otto Lagerfeldt). Small but important change. 81.170.156.146 (talk) 18:31, 7 November 2009 (UTC)

Asexual claim
Should the claim that he is asexual be removed? It is unsourced and it may violate the strict guidelines on WP:Biographies of living persons  Cambrasa  23:12, 12 April 2008 (UTC)


 * Resolved, I have just tracked down a source for the claim and will add it.  Cambrasa  23:15, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

oh come on just look at him, he's gay as a summer hat —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.16.239.160 (talk) 07:37, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

His NNDB page is (apart from this talk page), the only place I've seen it stated that he's asexual. However, Cliff Richard's NNDB page states that he's asexual, but we all know what his orientation really is! Werdnawerdna (talk) 00:03, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

NY Times (good source - NNDB is hardly a primary source) says his "great love" was Jacques de Bascher, who had previously been the object of Yves Saint Laurent's obsession, though Lagerfeld more recently says he did not have a physical relationship with de Bascher. Yves of Destruction, December 24, 2000--Larrybob (talk) 15:57, 5 December 2009 (UTC)


 * Lagerfeld is from the old-time generation, still in the closet.76.17.118.157 (talk) 18:06, 10 April 2010 (UTC)


 * Lagerfeld's "asexual" comment was in reference to his current sexual state as a man in his late 70's. Like most men his age, he's no longer interested or even physically capable of sexual intercourse.  Hence, he's "asexual".  To say that Karl Lagerfeld is "in the closet" is a rather bizarre claim.  He discusses Paris's gay scene that he was very much a part of in his youth in great detail in his Diet Book.Bogan444 (talk) 17:19, 21 September 2010 (UTC)


 * So I suppose these are two straight men in this picture. 84.244.183.120 (talk) 17:51, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

Date of birth
apparently his DoB is not necessarily in 1933. SCRA5071 (talk) 05:30, 10 September 2008 (UTC)

this doesn't make sense:

"He has alleged he was born in 1938 however it has been reported that he was actually born in 1938" —Preceding unsigned comment added by Preauxx (talk • contribs) 13:51, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

His schoolmates were all born in 1932 or 1933 so it is possible that he was too smart in school and made a 5 year jump haha — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.113.99.138 (talk) 00:38, 11 August 2017 (UTC)

This date of birth issue is causing errors to arise under the "Career" subsection, the first sentence of which states: "In 1955, after living in Paris for two years, Lagerfeld entered a coat design competition sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat at the age of sixteen." If he were indeed born in 1933, then he would have been in his 20's during this competition. So either the date of the competition or his age during the competition or his 'conclusively proven" birth year of 1933 is incorrect. — Preceding unsigned comment added by KajHansen (talk • contribs) 06:51, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

What's with all the high collars?
Every photo I've seen he has those on. Is it for a practical reason or just more of a fetish? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 64.193.228.246 (talk) 07:31, 15 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Hides chicken neck. 84.244.183.120 (talk) 17:43, 2 May 2011 (UTC)

Work
Why doesn't this article reference his work with Chanel? Violetbeau (talk) 03:00, 5 November 2008 (UTC)

Why doesn't this article reference Kimora Lee (Perkins) Simmons? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.117.207.76 (talk) 04:57, 29 March 2009 (UTC)

Karl Lagerfeld has been the Chief Designer at Channel since 1983. It is the most significant aspect of his professional career and the thing that has brought him international fame. To have a Karl Lagerfeld entry without mentioning Channel is like talking about Babe Ruth without mentioning the New York Yankees.Bogan444 (talk) 17:45, 21 September 2010 (UTC)

When did "helm" (as "helms") become a verb? Evil Prince (talk) 13:09, 13 November 2010 (UTC)

His father's nationality
Can someone explain these sentences? "Karl's father is from Vladivostok, Russia; his mother is from Berlin, Germany (according to "Lagerfeld Confidential", Marconi Rodolphe, 2006). Though Lagerfeld has stated that his father was Swedish, journalist Alicia Drake in The Beautiful Fall (Little, Brown, 2006) established that Karl's father, Otto Lagerfeldt, who worked as a distributor at a company introducing condensed milk to Germany, was indeed German" So, was his father Russian, Swedish or German? Vladivostok is quite far from Germany btw.Aaker (talk) 17:08, 10 December 2009 (UTC)


 * Karl has always claimed his father was Swedish, but Karl sometimes lies about his past so one needs to take that with a grain of salt. Independent researches have concluded his father was most likely German.  The city where a man happened to be born does not affect his nationality.  Vladivostok was a major port city on the Pacific Ocean and had a multi-ethnic population until the Communists expelled the non-Russians in the late 20th Century.  Hope that helps.Bogan444 (talk) 17:51, 21 September 2010 (UTC)


 * Just saw the Karl Lagerfeld: Un Roi Seul / Karl Lagerfeld: Lonely King documentary. Here they said that his father was Danish... I'll update the main article to reflect this... Hertell (talk) 20:19, 17 January 2012 (UTC)

Anti-gay marriage comments
http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2010/04/09/karl-lagerfeld-speaks-sex-marriage-gay-parents/ 76.17.118.157 (talk) 18:04, 10 April 2010 (UTC)

Pirelli calendar
He also shot the 2011 famous pirelli calender with famous models. Maybe worthy to mention. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.54.157.44 (talk) 19:07, 1 December 2010 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Karl Lagerfeld. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive http://web.archive.org/web/20131021193237/http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/chat/t-10242673/index.html to http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/chat/t-10242673/index.html

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true or failed to let others know (documentation at Sourcecheck).

Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 00:50, 28 February 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 1 one external link on Karl Lagerfeld. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20131027084355/http://www.fashionwindows.com/beauty/diesel/experimental.asp to http://www.fashionwindows.com/beauty/diesel/experimental.asp

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true or failed to let others know (documentation at ).

Cheers.—cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 00:26, 2 July 2016 (UTC)

Sexual orientation
I have removed the "gay men" category which was not supported by the article's content or by references. It seems that his sexual orientation is a complicated issue; compare for example the footnote here which cites various sources on this topic. Huon (talk) 19:18, 19 February 2017 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just modified 7 external links on Karl Lagerfeld. Please take a moment to review my edit. If you have any questions, or need the bot to ignore the links, or the page altogether, please visit this simple FaQ for additional information. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120912201225/http://modedesigner.jimdo.com/modedesigner/fendi/ to http://modedesigner.jimdo.com/modedesigner/fendi/
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20161003172513/http://creditpoisk.com/ to http://creditpoisk.com/
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110814132313/http://designer.denim.in.th/article.php/Karl-Lagerfeld-Launches-Denim-Collection to http://designer.denim.in.th/article.php/Karl-Lagerfeld-Launches-Denim-Collection
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20110828174730/http://www.fitnyc.edu/8693.asp to http://www.fitnyc.edu/8693.asp
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20140104010032/http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG10546695/Early-sketches-by-Karl-Lagerfeld-go-up-for-auction-in-Florida.html to http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG10546695/Early-sketches-by-Karl-Lagerfeld-go-up-for-auction-in-Florida.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20120205042045/http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG4075783/Karl-Lagerfeld-defends-fur-industry-saying-beasts-would-kill-us-if-we-didnt-kill-them.html to http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/article/TMG4075783/Karl-Lagerfeld-defends-fur-industry-saying-beasts-would-kill-us-if-we-didnt-kill-them.html
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/web/20140103231415/http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/international/2012/02/06/karl-lagerfeld-on-adele-the-greek-crisis-and-m-i-a-s-middle-finger-updated/ to http://www.metro.us/newyork/news/international/2012/02/06/karl-lagerfeld-on-adele-the-greek-crisis-and-m-i-a-s-middle-finger-updated/

When you have finished reviewing my changes, you may follow the instructions on the template below to fix any issues with the URLs.

Cheers.— InternetArchiveBot  (Report bug) 17:23, 28 November 2017 (UTC)

né Lagerfeldt ?
I think his parents should have known his correct birthname and they clearly write Lagerfeld without that "t" at the ending. 2A02:8108:1340:5E70:497F:63D2:A37:11FD (talk) 15:49, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Very surprising given that his father's name was Lagerfeld. This is unsourced, or at least the article even goes on to suggest this was based on the mis-information that his father was Swedish. Also no mention at all in the de:wiki article. Suggest it is removed from both the lead and the infobox. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:05, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * , it's in the BBC source within the lead, the source was moved to the end of the parentheses for some reason. Karl Lagerfeld also stated that his father's name was Otto Ludwig Lagerfeldt, suggesting that both used "Lagerfeld" as public name. Lordtobi  ( &#9993; ) 16:08, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * I see. Easily missed. There still seems to be some contradiction with the parents' names used in the article text. Perhaps an explicit explanatory footnote would help the reader? Thanks for explaining. Martinevans123 (talk) 16:16, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Lagerfeld himself couldn't remember his date of birth and made a mystery around the exact year (1938, 1935). He loved to create such "stories" (like the Swedish background) and these hoaxes are sometimes repeated even by reliable sources. 2A02:8108:1340:5E70:497F:63D2:A37:11FD (talk) 16:18, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Here are some sources regarding his father's background, his name was Lagerfeld Otto Lagerfeld Biography;  Otto Lagerfeld Hamburgische Biografie Band 2,  Otto Lagerfeld, Hamburger Abendblatt 19. September 1956 2A02:8108:1340:5E70:497F:63D2:A37:11FD (talk) 16:27, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Oh. So it seems that we, along with the BBC, are just posthumously indulging Lagerfeld in one of his best invented myths? Martinevans123 (talk) 16:29, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * The Hamburgerische Biografie source says Karl Lagerfeld was born in 1935, while the Deutsche Biographie says 1938, both of which we know is wrong. Isn't there any source that has all facts straight, one that we can trust? Lordtobi  ( &#9993; ) 16:37, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * For a long time his year of birth was a mystery and only after some journalists found some hard evidence 1933 became the acknowledged year. That some older sources trusted Lagerfeld's own statements isn't surprising. Every information given by Karl Lagerfeld himself should be taken with a grain of salt. 2A02:8108:1340:5E70:497F:63D2:A37:11FD (talk) 17:08, 19 February 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 19 February 2019
Death Following health complications in January 2019, Lagerfeld was admitted to the American Hospital of Paris in Parisian suburb Neuilly-sur-Seine on 18 February. The morning after, he died at that hospital, aged 85. Karl Lagerfeld died from Pancreatic cancer, an illness he concealed from everyone but close family and professional contacts. Black Eagle Flight (talk) 20:16, 19 February 2019 (UTC)


 * ❌. Daily Mail is a tabeloid and not a reliable source. Lordtobi  ( &#9993; ) 21:25, 19 February 2019 (UTC)

Road safety advert
This seems to have been unfortunately rather overlooked from 2008. A mention here in Vogue and in The Cut. I think it was quite a big thing in France. Martinevans123 (talk) 21:48, 19 February 2019 (UTC)

Awarded France's Legion of Honour
The government of France made him a Commandeur de la Legion d'honneur in 2010. This should be mentioned in his entry! — Preceding unsigned comment added by 198.111.162.122 (talk) 23:12, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Thanks. Do you have a good source for that honour? Martinevans123 (talk) 10:46, 20 February 2019 (UTC)
 * The German Wikiedia has a newspaper source (archived) for this, title translates to French Order of Merit for KL, "url=http://www.rp-online.de/gesellschaft/leute/Franzoesischer-Verdienstorden-fuer-Karl-Lagerfeld_aid_865064.html |wayback=20100606213102 |text=Französischer Verdienstorden für Karl Lagerfeld. In: Rheinische Post. 4. Juni 2010", - and for several other honours. --Gerda Arendt (talk) 11:07, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

One of France's poorer decisions, apparently. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 137.188.108.53 (talk) 19:09, 2 May 2023 (UTC)

Godwin’s law
...is that really necessary? --78.49.25.207 (talk) 23:13, 19 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Time to break out that little black dress? (but take the swastikas off first). Martinevans123 (talk) 10:37, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 20 February 2019
Karl Lagerfeld dies aged 85 from pancreatic cancer Yolga (talk) 05:00, 20 February 2019 (UTC)
 * Pictogram voting wait.svg Already done – Jonesey95 (talk) 05:53, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

Age in 1955
The early career section claims: "In 1955, after living in Paris for two years, Lagerfeld entered a coat design competition sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat at the age of sixteen." He was obviously not 16 in 1955. 2A02:8108:1340:5E70:5410:8E1E:8811:9779 (talk) 11:31, 20 February 2019 (UTC)
 * No mention of his age in the source given so I think it can be removed. Martinevans123 (talk) 11:41, 20 February 2019 (UTC)

Dark glasses
Presumably these were always Chanel branded? Martinevans123 (talk) 17:16, 21 February 2019 (UTC)

Semi-protected edit request on 27 November 2019
In the "Controversies" section, there is a space between "Fatphobic" and the comma to its right.

X: Fatphobic , Y: Fatphobic, 71.201.47.203 (talk) 15:49, 27 November 2019 (UTC)


 * Just done by User:Theroadislong. - ChrisWar666 (talk) 16:31, 27 November 2019 (UTC)

Flagging up possible plagiarism
My edit today removed text that was machine translated from its cited Danish source. I was initially going to reconstruct it to fit a more encyclopedia tone, but upon further inspection it was simply a copy. I removed it for concerns of plagiarism, though I am not an expert on that topic. I wanted to flag it up here so that other editors might scrutinize further contributions to this article carefully. I also wanted to flag up that I removed these sources, though they may be valuable to restore. Thanks! Bss7 (talk) 16:00, 2 May 2023 (UTC)

Working on Controversies Section
Is anyone currently working on the controversies section? I noticed the template there, but I haven't worked on one with this specific template notice yet. Super interested in working here, if others are wanting to collab. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Pumpkinspyce (talk • contribs) 01:43, 29 June 2023 (UTC)

Suggestion for infobox and models list
Hello editors, I'm Marina and I work for the KARL LAGERFELD brand. The editors who have worked on this page have captured a lot of information about Karl Lagerfeld's life and career. I'm here to offer a few clarifications and suggestions for additional details to add to the article. As a connected contributor, I know I need to follow Wikipedia's rules and present requests for review. There are two items I'd initially like to bring for discussion: Looking forward to seeing editors' thoughts on these, and please feel free to reach out if I can help in general. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 15:48, 22 November 2023 (UTC)
 * 1) In the infobox table, there's a parenthetical "(in German)" following the website link. Can this be removed? The website is not just in German
 * 2) In the final collection section, there's a very long table listing every model and their nationality from the final tribute runway show. This information has no references, seems excessive to me, and doesn't really fit in a biographical article. Do editors agree with removing this, too?
 * ✅ The table had no way of verifying each name within it, with the only two names attached to references being the individuals who ostensibly opened and closed the show, and both given the same ref note. Many of the names were not notable. The association of nationalities to each of the names was odd; this is done in funeral articles, however, this particular show was not a funeral per se, and funeral articles which do list attendees and their nationalities usually have that information referenced. Regards, Spintendo  13:50, 9 December 2023 (UTC)
 * Agreed. Mooonswimmer 14:00, 9 December 2023 (UTC)

Suggestion for Early career update
Hello again editors, I'm Marina and I work for the KARL LAGERFELD brand. I have a new request, this time about the Early career section. The first paragraph in this section currently reads as follows:

In 1954, Lagerfeld submitted a dress design to the International Wool Secretariat's design competition that presaged the chemise dresses that would be introduced by Givenchy and Balenciaga in 1957. In 1955, after living in Paris for two years, Lagerfeld entered a coat design competition sponsored by the International Wool Secretariat. He won the coat category and befriended Yves Saint Laurent, who won the dress category, and was soon after hired by Pierre Balmain who was a judge for the competition. He worked as Balmain's assistant, and later apprentice, for three years.

The wording in this paragraph is confusing, as it seems like Karl entered the same contest twice. I tried cleaning up the language to better reflect the chronology:

In 1954, Lagerfeld submitted a dress design to the International Wool Secretariat's design competition. His submitted entry presaged the chemise dresses that would be introduced by Givenchy and Balenciaga three years later. In 1955, Lagerfeld entered another IWS competition and won in the coat category. He also befriended another winner, Yves Saint Laurent, and was soon after hired by Pierre Balmain who was a judge for the competition. He worked as Balmain's assistant, and later apprentice, for three years.

If this revision makes sense, I'm hoping that editors can update this paragraph. Thank you! MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 11:08, 16 December 2023 (UTC)
 * - I think the new wording is less confusing, works well, and is well sourced. Completed as requested. Lewcm Talk to me! 14:40, 16 December 2023 (UTC)

Additional suggestion for Early career update
Hello again editors, this is Marina from the KARL LAGERFELD brand. I have a follow-up request about the Early career section. The second paragraph in this section currently reads as follows:

In 1958, Lagerfeld became the artistic director for Jean Patou. In 1964, he went to Rome to study art history and work for Tiziani but was soon designing freelance for a many brands including Charles Jourdan, Chloé, Krizia, and Valentino. In 1965, he was hired by Fendi to modernize their fur line. Lagerfeld's innovative designs proved groundbreaking, as he introduced the use of mole, rabbit, and squirrel pelts into high fashion. Lagerfeld remained with Fendi Rome until his death.

The current reference here is the Encyclopedia Britannica, and some of the details are not quite correct, so I have identified sources that provide more context and specificity. For example, the dates that Lagerfeld started working with Jean Patou and that he worked with Tiziani can be confirmed in the new sources. I've also added a sentence to note when he left Jean Patou and that he was one of the first major designers to work freelance.

In 1957, Lagerfeld became the artistic director for Jean Patou. He left Jean Patou in 1962, to become a freelance designer, one of the first designers to do so. From 1963 to 1969, he designed for the Rome-based fashion house Tiziani. During this time he also designed freelance for brands including Charles Jourdan, Chloé, Krizia, and Valentino. In 1965, he was hired by Fendi to modernize their fur line. Lagerfeld's innovative designs proved groundbreaking, including the introduction of less expensive furs such as rabbit and squirrel pelts into high fashion, and launching a ready-to-wear line. He also designed the brand's double F logo. Lagerfeld remained with Fendi Rome until his death.

If these edits look good to editors, I hope the paragraph can be updated. Thank you! MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 11:36, 30 December 2023 (UTC)
 * Just one question and one observation. It says He left Jean Patou in 1962, to become a freelance designer. Then it says From 1963 to 1969, he designed for the Rome-based fashion house Tiziani. Following that, it says During this time he also designed freelance for brands including Charles Jourdan, Chloé, Krizia, and Valentino. My question is, was his work for Tiziani freelance work or otherwise? I ask because Tiziani is mentioned right after the claim to beginning freelancing, and yet, in the groupings of freelance work claimed immediately after this, Tiziani is not mentioned. Tiziani is mentioned by itself, but if it was freelance work just as much as the others' work was, why aren't all the houses where freelanced work was done mentioned together? (ensemble, as the French would say). Then, my observation would be the claim Lagerfeld's innovative designs proved groundbreaking. No one is disputing this — but it would be better if this claim were not made using Wikipedia's WP:VOICE. If we could find a prominent reviewer from say WWD or French Vogue, who could be mentioned as stating this, it would sound better. Surely there would be no difficulty in finding such a reviewer and their published statements that ran along these lines. Let me know what you can find. When ready to proceed, kindly change the request template's answer parameter to read from y to n. Thank you!


 * Regards, Spintendo  14:43, 30 December 2023 (UTC)


 * Thank you for this feedback, User:Spintendo. It took me a little time to look into the Tiziani detail and confirm, so thank you for your patience also. He was freelance with Tiziani, so I've edited to collapse the two sentences together and simplify to "freelanced" as you suggested.


 * For the statement "Lagerfeld's innovative designs proved groundbreaking", this is already included in the article with no reference. I felt that the Independent reference that I added corroborates the statement (see quotes below), but I understand your point about not wanting this to be a statement from Wikipedia but rather attributed to a particular outlet or writer. I've edited the draft below to do that.


 * From The Independent reference:
 * "Nevertheless, Lagerfeld and Fendi have innovated in a way that has revolutionised the industry - not least, for Fendi, the introduction of a ready-to-wear line in 1969, in a period when haute couture ruled fashion and when handbag makers or leather specialists never overstepped their boundaries."
 * "If Lagerfeld's Chanel paved the way for the revival of a myriad of moribund labels, his work with Fendi paved the way for accessory-peddling labels like Prada and Louis Vuitton to expand into the rag trade proper."

In 1957, Lagerfeld became the artistic director for Jean Patou. He left Jean Patou in 1962, to become a freelance designer, one of the first designers to do so. In the 1960s, he freelanced for brands including Charles Jourdan, Chloé, Krizia, Valentino, and for the Rome-based fashion house Tiziani. In 1965, he was hired by Fendi to modernize their fur line. The fashion editor of The Independent, Alexander Fury, wrote in 2015 that Lagerfeld's designs for Fendi were innovative and proved groundbreaking within the industry. These included the introduction of less expensive furs such as rabbit and squirrel pelts into high fashion, and launching a ready-to-wear line. He also designed the brand's double F logo. Lagerfeld remained with Fendi Rome until his death.


 * If this answers both your queries, are you able to update the paragraph? Thank you! MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 11:51, 23 January 2024 (UTC)
 * ✅ in light of the above discussion and revisions made. WhinyTheYounger ※ Talk 03:49, 13 February 2024 (UTC)
 * WhinyTheYounger ※ Talk 03:50, 13 February 2024 (UTC)

Another suggested Early career section update
This is Marina again from the KARL LAGERFELD brand. I have another request about the Early career section. I'm hoping we can add a new paragraph to the end of this section that covers how and why Karl Lagerfeld took up photography:

Lagerfeld took up photography in 1987 after being frustrated with images done for Chanel press kits. Chanel's then-image director, Éric Pfrunder, encouraged Lagerfeld to redo them himself, and photography soon became one of the passions of Lagerfeld's life outside of design. He went on to shoot commercial fashion campaigns, celebrity profiles for magazines like Harper's Bazaar, and more experimental architectural and landscape work. “I’m an illustrator with a camera,” Lagerfeld told Women's Wear Daily at an exhibition of his work at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie.

Photography was obviously an important component of his career and the origin of his interest in the craft seems relevant, especially given the amount of media coverage of the topic. If the draft paragraph I put together seems relevant, I'm hoping that editors can add it to the end of the section. Thank you! MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 09:22, 22 February 2024 (UTC)


 * Tagging WhinyTheYounger, Lewcm, Spintendo, and Moonswimmer as they appear to be monitoring this Talk page and have reviewed my previous requests. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 11:14, 27 February 2024 (UTC)
 * Suggested text:
 * Lagerfeld took up photography in 1987 after being frustrated with images done for Chanel press kits. Chanel's then-image director, Éric Pfrunder, encouraged Lagerfeld to redo them himself, and photography soon became one of the passions of Lagerfeld's life outside of design. He went on to shoot commercial fashion campaigns, celebrity profiles editorial shots for magazines like Harper's Bazaar, as well as more experimental architectural and landscape work. “I’m an illustrator with a camera,” Lagerfeld told Women's Wear Daily at an exhibition of his work at the Maison Européenne de la Photographie. Mooonswimmer 18:03, 28 February 2024 (UTC) Mooonswimmer 18:03, 28 February 2024 (UTC)
 * These revisions look fine to me, Moonswimmer. I appreciate you taking the time to review and would be grateful if you could make the update. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 13:32, 29 February 2024 (UTC)
 * ✅. Mooonswimmer 14:43, 1 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank you so much for your help here, Mooonswimmer. I just posted a new request that I'm hoping you can look at as well when you have time. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 18:47, 4 March 2024 (UTC)

Suggested expansion of paragraph about eponymous branch launch
Hello, this is Marina from the KARL LAGERFELD brand. I'm back with another request, this time about expanding the paragraph in the International fame with Chanel (1982–2000) section that covers the branch's launch in 1984.

Right now the paragraph looks like this:

In 1984, a year after his start at Chanel, Lagerfeld began his own eponymous "Karl Lagerfeld" brand. The brand was established to channel "intellectual sexiness".

I propose that this paragraph be replaced with the following:

In 1984, a year after his start at Chanel, Lagerfeld began his own eponymous "Karl Lagerfeld" brand with a focus on ready-to-wear clothing. In 1989 the Lagerfeld label was purchased by the Cora Revillon Group, which had previously reached an agreement to manufacture and market Karl Lagerfeld-branded products. That same year, Lagerfeld launched two Karl Lagerfeld brand menswear lines.

I swapped the "intellectual sexiness" line for more encyclopedic details about the brand's origin and history, all supported with citations to Vogue, UPI, and the Chicago Tribune.

If this revised paragraph seems like an improvement, I'm hoping editors can make the update. Thank you again for your help with these requests. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 18:45, 4 March 2024 (UTC)


 * I'm again tagging WhinyTheYounger, Lewcm, Spintendo, and Mooonswimmer for assistance here, as they have reviewed my previous requests. I have also created a draft for the eponymous brand that is currently under review and could use additional eyes from interested editors. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 15:18, 14 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Would you be able to provide a better source to corroborate "In 1989, the Lagerfeld label was purchased by the Cora Revillon Group..." ? Mooonswimmer 18:07, 16 March 2024 (UTC)


 * Hello, Mooonswimmer, thanks for getting back to me. I have looked and looked for a source that specifies the purchase by Cora Revillon happened in 1989, but alas I'm not finding anything. Internally we are confident that timeline is correct, however I understand that Wikipedia requires sourcing that states so explicitly. Given this context, I have reworked the draft to remove the "In 1989 the Lagerfeld label was purchased by the Cora Revillon Group" claim and replaced it with wording that doesn't specify a year, along with additional information about the Revillon and subsequent Vendôme deals.

In 1984, a year after his start at Chanel, Lagerfeld began his own eponymous "Karl Lagerfeld" brand with a focus on ready-to-wear clothing. Lagerfeld had signed an agreement with Bidermann Industries USA, giving them ownership and licensing rights to fashion labels he produced. Lagerfeld ended the agreement with Bidermann in 1989. That same year, Lagerfeld launched two Karl Lagerfeld brand menswear lines. The Lagerfeld label was then purchased by the Cora Revillon Group, which had previously reached an agreement to manufacture and market Karl Lagerfeld-branded products.

In 1992, Dunhill Holdings—part of the Vendôme Luxury Group—acquired the Karl Lagerfeld brand from Cora-Revillon for an estimated $30 million. The acquisition was part of the agreement the company made with Lagerfeld for him to return to designing for the fashion house Chloé. Vendôme retained ownership of the brand for five years, until 1997, when it sold the brand back to Lagerfeld for a "symbolic one franc", following the end of his contract with Chloé. Lagerfeld stated that Vendôme “had not hired the right people to manage it."


 * As you can see, this draft is slightly longer at two paragraphs, but the details I've included are all specifically verified by the cited sources. Please let me know what you think. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 16:42, 20 March 2024 (UTC)


 * Hi again,, Mooonswimmer. Just wanted to let you know that I made a similar chronological update over the Karl Lagerfeld brand draft that's currently being reviewed for approval. If you have time, it would great if you could provide feedback over there as well, as your comments here have been very instructive. Thanks! MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 17:08, 27 March 2024 (UTC)
 * ✅ But I kept the line about intellectual sexiness. It was a straight quote from Vogue. STEM info  (talk) 00:44, 16 July 2024 (UTC)

Another suggested photography update
Hello Wikipedia editors, I have put together another request (actually a series of several linked requests) that I'm hoping you can review. I had previously requested the addition of a new paragraph in the Early career section covering how and why Karl Lagerfeld took up photography. Mooonswimmer kindly reviewed this request, suggested some very reasonable wording changes, and then added the new material—but as a subsection in Personal life. I know this may seem pedantic, but I think it makes more sense to introduce this information at the very end of the Early career section, as including it in the Personal life section makes it seem like photography was a hobby or something done casually, rather than an important component of his professional career in fashion. In this same vein, I would like to add some new photography material to the Other media section—which I think is actually a sub-subsection within the Final collection subsection? It probably makes sense to make Other media a normal subsection (within the larger Later career (2001-2019) section) and to retitle it as Other media and projects. Then we could, I hope, add the following material to the top of the section:

In 1994, Steidl publish Off the Record, a collection of Lagerfeld's photography. The publishing house went on to release dozens of collections of his work, including The Little Black Jacket in 2012, which featured 113 portraits of models and entertainers wearing the book's eponymous article, and Karl Lagerfeld: Casa Malaparte in 2015, which documented the Italian Modernist architectural monument. In 1996, the Zürich-based Galerie Gmurzynska began exhibiting Lagerfeld's photography. In 1999, Lagerfeld opened 7L, a bookshop in Paris that specializes in photography collections and visual arts books. In 2000, he launched a publishing imprint, Editions 7L, in collaboration with Steidl. The imprint released books on fashion and photography and also republished rare and out-of-print books. The 7L bookshop was reconceptualized after Lagerfeld's death as a space for cultural events. In 2010, the Maison Européenne de la Photographie assembled the largest-ever exhibit of Lagerfeld's photography. The show featured selections from his commercial work for Chanel, his celebrity portraits for Vogue and other magazines, and his more abstract landscapes and architectural pieces, including a 2007 series titled "Another Side of Versailles." In 2016, Palazzo Pitti hosted another exhibition of Karl Lagerfeld's photography that included portraits and photos from fashion shoots, all inspired by classical mythology. In 2019, following the news of Lagerfeld's death, Galerie Gmurzynska mounted a retrospective exhibition highlighting the past three decades of his work.

I hope the sourcing here makes clear that Karl's photography received considerable media attention and was an art that he pursued professionally. There is certainly more that coud be said about it, but I feel like the above material is a good start. Please let me know what you think and thank you again for your thoughtful feedback and continued assistance with these updates. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 10:10, 17 March 2024 (UTC)


 * I placed the material at the end of the Early career section, but @Colibri1 moved it to the Personal life section. I believe it is indeed better suited for the Early career section, given the commercial fashion campaigns and editorials Lagerfeld shot for major fashion publications. I look forward to @Colibri1's explanation for the move. Mooonswimmer 16:00, 17 March 2024 (UTC)
 * Hi Mooonswimmer, it looks like Colibri1 is not coming back to explain about this. Would you be comfortable with reviewing this new request to add details to the ‘’Other media’' section? MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 15:24, 23 April 2024 (UTC)

Documentary claim request
Hello, Marina from Karl Lagerfeld back with another request. Right now there's a sentence in the Other media subsection stating that "A feature-length documentary film on the designer, Lagerfeld Confidential, was made by Vogue in 2007." The claim does not have a citation, and the information is actually not quite right. The film was made by Rodolphe Marconi, a French filmmaker. Vogue had nothing to do with it. I took a stab at rewording and adding a New York Times citation. Here's what the entire paragraph would look like with the update:

Lagerfeld and investments enterprise Dubai Infinity Holdings (DIH) signed a deal to design limited edition homes on the island of Isla Moda. A feature-length documentary film on the designer, Lagerfeld Confidential, was made by Rodolphe Marconi in 2007. Later in the year, Lagerfeld was made the host of the fictional radio station K109—the studio in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV, and its DLCs The Lost & Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony.

I'm hoping an editor can review this proposed update and make the edit. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 08:11, 28 March 2024 (UTC)
 * ✅ Sorry for previously erroneously marking as done. P,TO 19104 (talk) (contribs) 20:44, 4 June 2024 (UTC)

Suggested Fashion / Collaboration / Awards sections update
Hello again Wikipedia editors. I have a new request, this time about restructuring material in the Fashion subsection (which is the top subsection in the Later career section).

The Fashion subsection has four paragraphs. The first two are mostly about collaborations between Karl Lagerfeld and different brands (along with one mention of an award presented by the Fashion Institute of Technology). The next paragraph is about photography and early sketches. The final paragraph is about other assorted awards.

Because collaborations were such an important component of his career, I think the material about collaborations could be expanded into a separate subsection. I took a stab at this below. Please note that I trimmed back the details about the Diesel collaboration considerably. I did add a lot of new collaborations, but these projects all received considerable media coverage.

Karl Lagerfeld was well known for his collaborations with brands and individuals. Some of his notable collaborations during the 2000s and 2010s include the following:


 * In 2002, Lagerfeld asked Renzo Rosso, the founder of Diesel, to collaborate with him on a special denim collection for the Lagerfeld Gallery brand. The collection, Lagerfeld Gallery by Diesel, was designed by Lagerfeld and produced by Diesel and then sold in highly limited editions at the Lagerfeld Galleries in Paris and Monaco and at the Diesel Denim Galleries in New York and Tokyo.
 * In 2004, Lagerfeld designed a capsule collection for Swedish fashion chain H&M, marking the first time a designer had collaborated with the brand. Women's Wear Daily wrote that the collaboration "had a seismic effect on the entire fashion system: breaking down barriers between luxury and mass; democratizing design in a new way, and foreshadowing an era of rampant collaborations, drops and pop-up concepts."
 * In 2010, Lagerfeld collaborated with Coca-Cola on a limited-edition collection of Coca-Cola Light bottles in France. Lagerfeld also shot an ad campaign for the company featuring Coco Rocha and Baptiste Giabiconi. The redesigned bottles featured a vivid pink cap and a black graphic of Lagerfeld’s silhouette. Coca-Cola released another set of Lagerfeld-designed bottles in 2011.
 * In 2012, Lagerfeld collaborated with Japanese cosmetics brand Shu Uemura on a holiday makeup collection. Lagerfeld worked closely with the brand's shu artistic director, Kakuyasu Uchiide, to develop the line.
 * In 2014, Lagerfeld collaborated with Mattel on a "Barbie Lagerfeld" doll that included fingerless gloves and a tailored black jacket.
 * In 2016, Lagerfeld collaborated with Faber-Castell on the "Karlbox", a collection of fine artist tools.
 * In 2017, Lagerfeld collaborated with the shoe brand Vans on a collection that included sneakers, jackets, hats, and backpacks. The next year he created a similar capsule collection for Puma. The line included Suede sneakers inspired by Lagerfeld’s personal style.
 * Lagerfeld was a collector of Christofle silverware, and in 2018 he collaborated with the brand on a limited-edition cutlery set. Lagerfeld had previously collaborated on a collection of crystal glasses with Orrefors.

Likewise, I think the Awards material could be a separate subsection. In the draft below, I consolidated the existing awards claims, trimmed down the wording, and added one new claim about a Women's Wear Daily award.

In September 2010, the Couture Council of The Museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology presented Lagerfeld with an award created for him, The Couture Council Fashion Visionary Award, at a benefit luncheon at Avery Fisher Hall, in New York City.

In November 2015, Karl Lagerfeld was presented with the Outstanding Achievement Award at the British Fashion Awards. Anna Wintour, Editor in Chief of American Vogue, presented the award. In 2017 he received the John B. Fairchild Award from WWD.

The claim about the Little Black Jacket photography book is included in my proposed photography update above. I'm not sure where the early sketches auctions claim could be moved. Maybe the Other media subsection?

I know I'm suggesting some big changes here so please let me know what you think. The feedback editors have provided in the past has been incredibly useful. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 11:42, 2 April 2024 (UTC)

Cause of death correction request
The second sentence in the Death, tributes, and retrospectives subsection states that "He died [in the American Hospital of Paris] the following morning from complications of pancreatic cancer." This is not correct, however. Karl Lagerfeld had prostate cancer. Early reporting, like the currently cited AOL article, unfortunately got the diagnosis wrong. Later reporting, however, clarified that it was prostate cancer. (E.g. this WWD article, which states "He died in February 2019 at age 85 after a long battle with prostate cancer, and an unprecedented career.")

I have updated the paragraph in question with the correct form of cancer and replaced the AOL citation with the WWD one.

After health complications in January 2019, Lagerfeld was admitted to the American Hospital of Paris in Parisian suburb Neuilly-sur-Seine on 18 February. He died there the following morning from complications of prostate cancer. He requested no formal funeral with plans for cremation and ashes spread at secret locations alongside his mother as well as his late partner, Jacques de Bascher.

Please let me know if you can make this update. MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 17:26, 3 April 2024 (UTC)


 * ✅ Thank you. Martinevans123 (talk) 18:04, 3 April 2024 (UTC)
 * Thank you so much the for prompt assistance, Martinevans123. If you have time, it would be great if you could look at some of the other requests I have posted here. I see that you've been active on this Talk page in the past and you clearly know the subject! There's also a draft for the eponymous brand being reviewed at AfC that could use feedback. It would be so helpful if someone with your subject matter expertise could take a look. Thank you again! MB for KARL LAGERFELD (talk) 07:28, 4 April 2024 (UTC)
 * I am no expert. I just edit what catches my eye, in almost random fashion. Martinevans123 (talk) 08:15, 4 April 2024 (UTC)