Reuters People News Summary

Following is a summary of current people news briefs. Haute-couture designer Karl Lagerfeld dies aged 85

German haute-couture designer Karl Lagerfeld, artistic director at Chanel and an icon of the global fashion industry for over half a century, has died, a source at the French fashion house said on Tuesday. He was 85. Lagerfeld, instantly recognizable in his dark suits, pony-tailed white hair and sun glasses, was best known for his association with Chanel but delivered collections for LVMH's Fendi and his own eponymous label. Karl Lagerfeld: fashion's prolific commander-in-chief

Karl Lagerfeld enjoyed the stature of a god among mortals in the world of fashion, where he stayed on top for well over half of a century and up to his death, at an age almost nobody apart from himself knew with to-the-day precision. The German designer was best known for his association with France's Chanel, dating back to 1983. The brand, the legend now goes, risked becoming the preserve of monied grannies before he arrived, slashing hemlines and adding glitz to the prim tweed suits of what is now one of the world's most valuable couture houses.