Fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld has died aged 85, according to sources close to Chanel.

The iconic designer, who was the creative director of Chanel, is believed to have been unwell for two weeks before his death in a Paris hospital.

“The state of his health had been a cause of concern for a number of weeks,” said a source in the French capital.

“He had not been seen at fashion shows that he was expected to attend. Karl was admitted to hospital on Monday, and died on Tuesday morning.”

He had missed two of Chanel’s haute couture Paris shows in on January 22, but the fashion company only said at the time he was feeling tired.

In a statement read out after he missed the second show, it said: “Mr Lagerfeld, artistic director of Chanel, who was feeling tired, asked Virginie Viard, director of the creative studio of the house, to represent him.”

It was the first time he had ever missed giving a catwalk bow at the end of a Chanel show, The Mirror reports.

Karl would often bring his beloved cat, Choupette, to his appearances, and even based several designs on her.
He set up an Instagram account – Choupette’s Diary – and would upload streams of content of her daily activities, from flying with him on his private jet to basking in his mansion.
The white-haired Birman, described by her social network minders as “daughter of Karl Otto Lagerfeld”, has more than 100,000 Instagram followers and a publishing deal.