Gucci creative director pays tribute to Karl Lagerfeld: 'He had such a big enthusiasm for life'

The fashion icon died at the age of 85 on Tuesday

The creative director of Gucci has paid tribute to the late Karl Lagerfeld.

On Wednesday, Alessandro Michele presented Gucci’s autumn/winter 2019 collection as the first show of Milan Fashion Week.

And, while the collection delivered on the brand’s usual eclectic take on high-fashion – it included everything from creepy face masks to gilded ear clips –the passing of Chanel’s creative director didn’t go unnoticed.

Speaking backstage after the show, Michele reminisced about his relationship with Lagerfeld, for whom he worked with at Fendi at the beginning of his career.

“He was obsessed with everything,” Michele told The Telegraph.

“He was mad about music and he always asked me what I was listening to. He called me The DJ because I always had some new music and he’d play it very loud. It wasn’t just music,” Michele continued.

“He was interested in everything. Being with him was sometimes like being with a very clever 14 year old. He had such a big enthusiasm for life.”

Michele responded to the news of Lagerfeld’s passing earlier this week by posting a photograph of the designer alongside a black heart emoji on Instagram.

Tributes to the late designer have poured in from around the world since his passing on Tuesday, including designers Donatella Versace, Henry Holland and Caroline Rush, chief executive at the British Fashion Council, who said: “We are deeply saddened to learn the news of Karl Lagerfeld’s passing today.”

British Vogue editor Edward Enninful also released a statement to say he was “deeply saddened” to hear of Lagerfeld’s passing, while TV presenter-turned-designer Alexa Chung praised his wit and generosity.

Similarly, Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer said: “Thanks to his creative genius, generosity and exceptional intuition, Karl Lagerfeld was ahead of his time, which widely contributed to the House of Chanel’s success throughout the world.

“Today, not only have I lost a friend but we have all lost an extraordinary creative mind to whom I gave carte blanche in the early 1980s to reinvent the brand.”

Fendi is expected to show the last collection designed by Lagerfeld at Milan Fashion Week on Thursday.