Karl Lagerfeld ‘to be cremated’ in line with the Chanel fashion designer’s wishes

The German fashion designer previously said he wants his ashes scattered with his mother's

Sabrina Barr
Thursday 21 February 2019 10:20 GMT
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Karl Lagerfeld: "My childhood was very simple"

Karl Lagerfeld is to be cremated in line with his wishes, according to a spokesperson for his eponymous brand.

Lagerfeld, who passed away at the age of 85 on Tuesday 19 February, had been creative director for French fashion house Chanel since 1983 and had been with Italian luxury fashion label Fendi since 1965.

Following his death, a spokesperson from the Karl Lagerfeld fashion brand has confirmed the German fashion designer won't be buried.

In an April 2018 interview with fashion magazine Numéro, Lagerfeld said that he'd "rather die" than be buried.

"I've asked to be cremated and for my ashes to be dispersed with those of my mother," he said.

Lagerfeld added that he also wished for his ashes to be scattered among those of his cat, should she die before him.

A spokesperson for the Karl Lagerfeld brand told French news agency AFP that "his wishes will be respected".

Lagerfeld had also previously said that he wants his ashes to be mixed with those of his late partner Jacques de Bascher, who passed away in 1989 due to complications from Aids.

"They are in a place kept secret with those of my mother," Lagerfeld told Bascher's biographer Marie Ottavi.

“One day, we will add mine. But I do not want a burial, nothing. I arrived one day, and one day I will leave. But let it be said, there is no urgency."

The fashion designer's cat, Choupette, is reportedly set to inherit some of his £150m fortune.

According to French newspaper Le Figaro, Lagerfeld's feline companion may be entitled to his fortune in accordance with German law, if she's been nominated as his "heir".

During a 2015 interview with the newspaper, Lagerfeld described Choupette as an "heiress". "She has her own little fortune," he said.

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Following the Chanel boss's death, the French luxury fashion house confirmed that his "right hand woman", Virginie Viard, would be taking over as creative director of the brand.

Viard had worked with Lagerfeld for more than three decades, having first joined Chanel as an intern in 1987.

“Virginie Viard, Director of Chanel’s Fashion Creation Studio and Karl Lagerfeld’s closest collaborator for more than 30 years, has been entrusted by Alain Wertheimer with the creative work for the collections, so that the legacy of Gabrielle Chanel and Karl Lagerfeld can live on,” Chanel's statement read.

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