Karl Lagerfeld’s ‘Bad Cold’ Raises Questions About Chanel

For more than three decades, Karl Lagerfeld has ruled over the Chanel fashion house, designing as many as eight collections a year: spring, fall, skiwear, haute couture, and more. And at every rollout, Lagerfeld—instantly recognizable in his signature powder-white ponytail and fingerless gloves—takes his bows, peering out from behind dark glasses alongside celebrity endorsers such as Keira Knightley and Pharrell Williams.

So when Chanel last month said the 85-year-old designer was too “tired” to appear at his spring-summer haute couture show in Paris, his absence made more news than the hand-stitched floral gowns, sequined tweed suits, and feather capes on the catwalk. Conversation quickly turned to what was really ailing the designer, how long he could stay in fashion’s top job, and what Chanel plans to do next. “Lagerfeld has embodied the spirit of this brand for such a long time that it’s hard to imagine,” says Delphine Dion, luxury professor at Essec Business School. “His aura, his persona is still very important.”