Karl Lagerfeld was born in 1933 in Hamburg, Germany, although he used to claim he was younger. 

As a child, Lagerfeld was very interested in visual arts and was always drawing in school. He liked to visit museums, especially the Kunsthalle Hamburg Museum, and was inspired by the French artists. Following this interest in French culture, he moved from Hamburg to Paris, France, and finished secondary school there.

In 1955, the designer won International Wool Secretariat's coat design contest. There, he got to know Yves Saint Laurent and was soon hired as Pierre Balmain's assistant. 

In 1958, Lagerfeld landed the creative director position at Jean Patou. From 1964 to 1967, he lived in Rome, Italy, working for Tiziano and studying art history. During this time, he designed freelance for Valentino, Chloé, Charles Jourdan, and Krizia.

In 1967, he was hired by Fendi to work on its fur collection. His innovative designs brought the brand to new heights. In 1983, Lagerfeld was also hired by Chanel, which was a great success for the luxury fashion house. In 1984, the "Karl Lagerfeld" brand came to life and was said to show "intellectual sexiness".