Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s creative director, and designer, has passed away at the age of 85. The German-born fashion icon has been the creative director of Chanel since 1983 in which he is known for the innovative and eccentric style of fashion.

After winning a design contest, at the age of 17 in 1954, Lagerfeld decided to pursue a career in the fashion industry. Since 1965, Lagerfeld has played a key role in almost all of the designs of Fendi.

He garnered more attention during this time in which he designed eccentric clothing that featured both rabbit and squirrel fur, something that was not common back then in fashion. In 1983, the famous designer saved Chanel from financial collapse after the death of Coco Chanel.

He revamped pieces and made them more modern with the trends popular in those days. He introduced flashy belts and clunky jewelry to Chanel’s line, thus changing the brand to more of a fashion brand. Even the brand of Chanel, the two “CC” was first created by the designer in the early ‘80s.

As a result of this death, many have taken to social media in order to pay their respects.