PARIS: Superstar designer Karl Lagerfeld died at the age of 85 on Tuesday, his fashion label Chanel confirmed.
The announcement came just a month after the man known as the "Kaiser" for his dominance of the industry did not appear at his Paris haute couture week show for Chanel, which he led since 1983.
The prolific German had left many younger creators in the dust well into his 80s, turning out collections season after season for Fendi and his own label, as well as Chanel -- the world´s richest brand.
But in recent years Lagerfeld had visibly weakened, even if his extraordinary creative stamina showed little sign of flagging on the catwalk. Friends had always said that the prolific creator would die with a pencil in his hand, and just last week his own fashion line Karl Lagerfeld was still announcing new design collaborations.
But speculation about his health spiralled last month after he missed the first show of his life, with Chanel executives saying that he "was tired this morning".
Italian designer Donatella Versace led the tributes as news of the Kaiser´s death broke. "Karl your genius touched the lives of so many, especially Gianni and I," she wrote on Instagram, referring to her murdered brother who founded her brand. "We will never forget your incredible talent and endless inspiration. We were always learning from you."