Karl Lagerfeld Misses Chanel Show Because He's ‘Tired,’ Brand Says

(Bloomberg) -- Chanel artistic director Karl Lagerfeld missed the spring-summer haute couture show, prompting questions about how much longer the 85-year-old designer will be able to helm the fashion brand.

Lagerfeld “was feeling tired,” according to a statement from closely held Chanel, which said Virginie Viard, director of the house’s creative studio, took his place for the traditional greeting at the end of the show on Tuesday in Paris.

The German designer joined Chanel in 1983 and has helped set the industry standard for five decades with collections that dressed celebrities such as Princess Diana and supermodel Claudia Schiffer.

Viard and Eric Pfrunder, Chanel’s director of image, “continue to work with him and follow through with the brand’s collections and image campaigns,” according to the statement.

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