Karl Lagerfeld’s age has long been a mystery, but the Chanel designer has finally revealed that he is 77.
Inviting people to play a guessing game, Karl Lagerfeld held a 70th birthday bash in 2008 and a party celebrating his 79th four years later.
In an interview with Paris Match the white-haired Chanel creative director stated that his real birth date is September 10, 1935.
Karl Lagerfeld said that for decades he didn’t know exactly what year he was born.
It was only when his mother died that he discovered it was 1935 and not 1938 as stated on documentation.
“[She] changed the [year]. It was easier to make a 3 or an 8 … I don’t know why she did it,” the fashion designer explained.
Karl Lagerfeld, who grew up in Hamburg, Germany, and is now based in Paris, is known for being a man who carefully crafts his public image.
His original name was Lagerfeldt, but he later changed it to Lagerfeld to make it sound more commercial.
Karl Lagerfeld is also likes to stick to a standard uniform consisting of dark sunglasses, a high-collared white shirt, and fingerless leather gloves.
He started his career in Paris as a teenager after entering a design competition and landing a job with Pierre Balmain. Today he leads the design teams at both Chanel and Fendi along with his own eponymous clothing label.
Outside of the fashion world, Karl Lagerfeld is said to enjoy learning languages and speaks fluent German, English, French and Italian. Other passions include antiques and photography and his pet cat Choupette.
Despite Karl Lagerfeld’s latest revelation regarding his age, Wikipedia and Voguepedia still state that he is 79 years old – leading some to question if he is telling the truth.
