Karl Lagerfeld's final wishes are being honored by Chanel.
The visionary creative director died just one day ago at the age of 85 and plans to lay him to rest are under way. People reports that a Chanel spokesperson told French news agency Agence France-Presse, "His wishes will be respected."
In an April 2018 interview, the Chanel director revealed his desire to "be cremated and for my ashes to dispersed with those of my mother." He also hoped to include his beloved cat Choupette's ashes should she die before him, however the cat continues to live.
His decision to be cremated was inspired by the pomp and circumstance of French singer Johnny Hallyday's funeral in 2017, which was held at La Madeleine Church and famously attended by current and former French presidents. After seeing the massive crowds that gathered in the streets, Lagerfeld said, "I'd rather die. Since those miserable Hallyday family stories, a funeral at the Madeleine looks like a joke."
In the revealing interview, Karl also confirmed that his darling Birman cat is one of the heirs to his massive fortune. He assured his friends and family not to worry though, since there is "enough for everyone."
The outspoken icon's death has been a devastating loss for the high fashion world. Models, designers and celebrities honored his life and contributions to fashion in heartfelt posts shared to social media.
Bruno Pavlovsky, president of fashion at Chanel, also paid tribute to the late designer. "Fashion show after fashion show, collection after collection, Karl Lagerfeld left his mark on the legend of Gabrielle Chanel and the history of the House of CHANEL," he said. "He steadfastly promoted the talent and expertise of CHANEL's ateliers and Métiers d'Art, allowing this exceptional know-how to shine throughout the world. The greatest tribute we can pay today is to continue to follow the path he traced by–to quote Karl –'continuing to embrace the present and invent the future.'"