KAISER KARL

Born to a wealthy family in 1938, Karl Lagerfeld is one of the most unique and acclaimed designers to have ever to picked up needle and thread. With his trademark powdered white hair and dark sunglasses, Lagerfeld is as easy to identify as his contributions to the dynamic industry of fashion.

To speak of ambition one must speak of Karl Lagerfeld. In 1955, at the age of 17, the German native had already move to Paris and won first prize at a competition hosted by The International Wool Association, for a wool coat he had created, catapulting him into the offices of Pierre Balmain, a renowned French designer. There he worked as an assistant to the designer for three years, before freelancing for Jean Patou and the Houses of Krizia and Fendi.

Karl Lagerfeld, a man of "immense energy and creative ideas," simultaneously launched his own perfume company, Parfums Lagerfeld in 1975. By 1998, he had already launched four fragrances, "CHLOE" in 1975, "LAGERFELD" in 1978, "PHOTO" in 1991 and "JAKO" in 1998. Convinced that his greatest strength is "to bring things that others have started to a better conclusion," Lagerfeld began working for the House of Chanel in 1983, after the death of its creator, Coco Chanel.

There Lagerfeld rejuvenated Chanel's image so significantly that he reaped the best emotions that any aspiring designer could ask for: shock and awe. With the help of another designer, Gilles du Foir, Lagerfeld produced ready-to-wear garments for Chanel as well as single-handedly transform the traditional Chanel suit into a "jeans" look by 1991.

An accomplished photographer, Karl Lagerfeld often produces his own press photos, earning him the titles, "Jack of all Trades," "Kaiser Karl" and "Karl the Uninhibited." In 1984 he finally, ventured into his own design business and by 1994 his signature line was marked by dramatic black and white women's wear that featured the "Wunderbra" and the "Wundercorset."