Karl Lagerfeld led Fendi alongside Chanel for more than five decades. He became the Italian fashion house’s creative director for fur and ready-to-wear in 1965, beginning one of the longest-running creative partnerships in modern fashion.
At Fendi, Lagerfeld worked closely with the five Fendi sisters and helped transform the company’s fur business into a major source of experimentation and luxury design. He also created the house’s double-F logo, which became one of its best-known visual symbols. His work at Fendi continued until his death in 2019.
Lagerfeld’s Chanel appointment came later, in 1983, after he had already established himself at Fendi. Because Chanel was his most publicly famous role, people sometimes overlook the length and importance of his Fendi career. The 2023 Met Gala exhibition covered both houses as well as his own label.