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Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel's Iconic Creative Director, Was the Brand's 'Modern Era Personified'

The late designer forever changed what it meant to be a legacy fashion house

karl-lagerfeld-PAGE-2019 — Lagerfeld played an instrumental role in shaping the fashion industry at large today, proving that new designers can reinvigorate a heritage fashion house.Getty Images

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Thirty-six years is a long time in any job, let alone at the helm of a major fashion house—particularly one that doesn’t bear your name. But Karl Lagerfeld wasn’t your average designer.

Lagerfeld, who died earlier this week at age 85, served both as Chanel’s creative director (since 1983) and Fendi’s creative director (1965) until his death, leaving both brands with a gaping hole. Chanel and Fendi are both irrevocably different than they were when he began.

But