Popsugar Fashion Instagram Karl Lagerfeld Death Reactions The Fashion World Is Saying Goodbye to Karl Lagerfeld the Only Way They Know How 19 February 2019 by Sarah Wasilak View On One Page Photo 23 of 52 ADVERTISEMENT () Start Slideshow View this post on Instagram I was 29 years old when I met Karl Lagerfeld for the first time. He had agreed to shoot me and one of my best friends for a magazine cover and from the moment I heard it I couldn’t believe it. Pulling up to Coco Chanel’s apartment I was filled with butterflies and nerves. I walked in to the door and he could tell I was nervous so he simply and so kindly said to me, “you are beautiful.” Of course I wasn’t, and he didn’t have to, but it struck me so strongly and never left me that a man so accomplished and beloved would spend the better part of five hours showering me with the same love that he has given every woman he has ever photographed or fit that brought his genius creations to life. After the shoot we poured through the archives, a testament to the long, focused, and quality life he had lived, and then he took us to a sushi dinner with the one and only Fran Lebowitz. Throughout the years he sent kind messages of support as I began to design my own collections and I felt truly seen in his presence. Beyond the obvious fact that he was one of the greatest to have ever lived, what has always stayed with me is how under so much pressure he remained sweet, wildly humorous, and so self assured, all things I struggle to do on a daily basis at a much more minuscule level. We have lost some of the greatest talents we’ll ever have over the last year, and it leaves us with both heavy hearts and minds. Those of us working towards a life in fashion will most likely never reach the level of genius, admiration, and craftsmanship of this wonderful man, a rare combination that touches only but a few of the brightest stars, but we can learn a thing or ten from him about how to live a life in fashion that means something and that touches people. The rare ability to make you feel just as beautiful in his presence as you do in his creations is truly the mark of a real star, and that’s the lasting mark Karl Lagerfeld left on me. I’ll always cherish the moments I was witness to that special gift. Rest In Peace Mr. Lagerfeld, thank you for all you have given us; the dreams, the love, the passion, the dedication. We are grateful. ❤️ A post shared by Brandon Maxwell (@brandonmaxwell) on Feb 19, 2019 at 5:43am PST Share This Link Copy ← Use Arrow Keys → 23 Brandon Maxwell Previous Next Start Slideshow InstagramCelebrity DeathsFashion BrandsCelebrity InstagramsFashion InstagramsFashion NewsDesignerChanelKarl Lagerfeld