PARIS (AP) Chanels iconic couturier, Karl Lagerfeld, whose accomplished designs as well as trademark white ponytail, high starched collars and dark enigmatic glasses dominated high fashion for the past 50 years, has died. He was around 85 years old.

Such was the enigma surrounding the German-born designer that even his age was a point of mystery for decades, with reports he had two birth certificates, one dated 1933 and the other 1938. In 2013, Lagerfeld told French magazine Paris Match he was born in 1935, but in 2019 his assistant still didnt know the truth telling AP he liked to scramble the tracks on his year of birth thats part of the character.

Chanel confirmed that Lagerfeld died early Tuesday.

Lagerfeld was of the most hardworking figures in the fashion world holding down the top design jobs at LVMH-owned luxury label Fendi from 1977, and Paris family-owned power-house Chanel in 1983. Indeed, his indefatigable energy was notable: he lost around 90 pounds in his late 60s to fit into the latest slimline fashions.

Though he spent virtually his entire career at luxury labels catering to the very wealthy including all of 20 years at Chloe Lagerfelds designs quickly trickled down to low-end retailers, giving him an almost unprecedented impact on the entire fashion industry.