Legendary fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld dies at 85

Legendary fashion designer and Chanel icon Karl Lagerfeld died at age 85 in Paris.

Karl Lagerfeld Dies at 85. [Photo: IC]

Lagerfeld died on Tuesday morning but the cause of his death is currently unknown.

Lagerfeld had missed several fashion shows, including a haute couture show in January and was believed to have been unwell for two weeks before his death.

Born in pre-war Germany, Lagerfeld moved to Paris as a teenager in 1955 to start a career as a design assistant for Pierre Balmain. He then worked at Fendi and Chloe in the 1960s.

He began his record-breaking 36-year career with Chanel in 1983 and is believed to have brought new life to the label.

Lagerfeld was reported to be "working 16 hours a day and delighted to do it", and churning out collections for Fendi and his own label up until his death.

Dark suits, white ponytailed hair, tinted sunglasses, and fingerless gloves: The distinctive look made Lagerfeld very recognizable and was part of his crafted persona.

Many heavyweights in the fashion industry have paid their tributes to Lagerfeld on social media.

Victoria Beckham posted: So incredibly sad to hear this. Karl was a genius and always so kind and generous to her both personally and professionally.

(Story includes material sourced from AP)