Karl's 'Bad Cold' And The Future Of Chanel

The 85-year-old design chief missed a show, raising the delicate issue of succession

- Lagerfeld

For more than three decades, Karl Lagerfeld has ruled over the Chanel fashion house, designing as many as eight collections a year: spring, fall, skiwear, haute couture, and more. And at every rollout, Lagerfeld—instantly recognizable in his signature powder-white ponytail and fingerless gloves—takes his bows, peering out from behind dark glasses alongside celebrity endorsers such as Keira Knightley and Pharrell Williams.

So when Chanel last month said the 85-yearold designer was too “tired” to appear at his spring-summer haute couture show in Paris, his absence made more news than the hand-stitched floral gowns, sequined tweed suits, and feather capes on the catwalk. Conversation quickly turned to what was really ailing the designer, how long he could stay in fashion’s top job, and what Chanel plans to do next. “Lagerfeld has embodied the spirit of this brand for such a long time that it’s hard to imagine,” says Delphine Dion, luxury professor at the business school HEC Paris. “His aura, his persona is still very important.”

In the statement, Chanel said studio chief Virginie Viard—Lagerfeld’s deputy who greeted guests at the show in his stead—and image director Eric Pfrunder would “continue to work with him and follow through with the brand’s collections.” While Chanel hasn’t said anything further about Lagerfeld’s health, a spokesman for the Karl Lagerfeld fashion line, a separate, lower-cost brand that he designs on the side, said the company wishes him a “quick recovery from his bad cold.”