Chanel’s famous designer Karl Lagerfeld, known for his signature ponytail and dark sunglasses look, was announced dead on Tuesday, February 19th. His death was announced by Chanel and the cause is still unknown, yet many believe it is due to age. They announced the passing on Instagram to all of their loyal followers by saying, “It is with deep sadness that the House of CHANEL announces the passing of Karl Lagerfeld, the Creative Director for the CHANEL Fashion House since 1983.” Lagerfeld was not only the creative director for Chanel but even had his own fashion line. The German designer is one of the most well-known fashion designers in the world and has designed outfits for many famous people throughout history and present. It is hard to think of Chanel without picturing Lagerfeld, but they are about to give Chanel a new face with the first women to lead since the founder, Coco, herself.
Chanel announced that his successor will be Virginie Viard, who was his longtime right hand. She will be taking over the creative operations for Chanel. She has been working for Lagerfeld for the past 30 years. Viard is from Lyon, France and credits her love for fashion to her mother and aunts. She started at Chanel as an intern in the ‘80s and worked her way up to being Lagerfeld’s protégé. Lagerfeld called Viard “the most important person, not only for me but also for the atelier, for everything” in Netflix’s “7 Days Out” documentary series. Viard made her big debut in January this year in place of Karl at the Chanel couture show. She told French magazine Crash, that if it weren’t for Karl she would not have begun a career in couture fashion. Viard will now be responsible for carrying on Lagerfeld’s legacy and guiding Chanel for years to come.