When Karl Lagerfeld was appointed to Chanel in 1983, its founder Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel had been dead for 12 years, the house was moribund and its fashion had become a dusty shadow of its former glory. Under his stewardship, he revived the house codes and rehabilitated the business, making it one of the best-known brands in the world.

Creative head at Chanel for more than 30 years, Fendi since 1965 and his own labels since 1984, Lagerfeld helped propel Chanel to revenues of $9.6bn in 2017, while being ever mindful of its history.

“Today, not only have I lost a friend, but we have all lost an extraordinary creative mind to whom I gave carte blanche in the early 1980s to reinvent the brand,” said Alain Wertheimer, the Chanel chief executive, in a statement after Lagerfeld’s death.