U.S. customs agents in El Paso, Texas, intercepted the package, which would have been worth $9 million if the jewelry was genuine.
Karl Lagerfeld, Father of Fashion, Dies at 85
The designer shaped not only fashion, but culture, through his work at Chanel and Fendi.

Paris—Chanel announced Tuesday that creative director Karl Lagerfeld has died.
He was 85.
The French fashion house did not give a cause of death. The only indication that the iconic designer was in poor health was his absence at Chanel’s haute couture presentation last month.
The Hamburg, Germany-born designer had occupied the top creative spot at Chanel since 1983, though the brand he helmed the longest was Fendi, which he joined in 1967.
At the time of his death he was also the creative director of eponymous label Karl Lagerfeld.
Chanel was where Lagerfeld made his greatest impact, having revived the brand at a time when it was terribly out of fashion, and shaping it into Paris Fashion Week’s most coveted fashion show ticket, partially for its extravagant presentations, which replicated everything from supermarkets to beaches with actual sand brought indoors.
He created compelling, contemporary clothing that always paid homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s legacy (a word he despised) through the founder’s signature tweeds, quilted bags and costume jewelry.
“My job is not to do what she did, but what she would have done,” the designer is quoted as saying in a statement Chanel released. “The good thing about Chanel is it is an idea you can adapt to many things.”
The barb-tongued designer, who flouted niceness with his sharp wit and controversial but often hilarious quotes, was also a cultural harbinger, shaping the fashion and entertainment landscapes through his choice of runway models—which often propelled their careers—his photography for Chanel and other brand’s campaigns, and his very own publishing house.
“I’m open to everything,” he told WWD in 2008. “When you start to criticize the times you live in, your time is over.”
Though his eponymous label never reached the creative heights of his work for Chanel and Fendi, Lagerfeld the man became his own cultural touchstone, appearing in video games, and even as a Fendi fur bag charm of his likeness called the “Karlito.”
In the fine jewelry world, Lagerfeld’s company inked a licensing agreement with Frederick Goldman to produce a line branded by the fashion house and it collaborated with Swarovski on a line of costume jewelry.
Embed from Getty Images
In a statement, Chanel CEO Alain Wertheimer commented: “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
Chanel’s president of fashion, Bruno Pavlovsky, added: “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 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.’”
Chanel has named Virginie Viard (pictured below with Lagerfeld), director of the brand’s fashion creation studio, as the house’s new creative director.
Embed from Getty Images
The Latest

Health monitors become statement pieces when paired with the brand’s new collection of stackable diamond-studded bands.

Ten organizations were selected this year.

Six new retail businesses were selected for the 2025 program, which began in January.

Kim Carpenter and Sam Gevisenheit have joined the brand.


“Shell Auranova” is the next generation of the brand’s bridal line, featuring half-bezel engagement rings with bold and fluid designs.

Boucheron and Pomellato performed well in an otherwise bleak quarter for Kering amid struggles at Gucci.

The risk of laboratory-grown diamonds being falsely presented as natural diamonds presents a very significant danger to consumer trust.

Designer Deborah Meyers created her birds from oxidized sterling silver, rose-cut diamond eyes, and Akoya Keshi pearl feathers.

The company said it expects sightholders to remain “cautious” with their purchasing due to all the unknowns around the U.S. tariffs.

Sponsored by the Gemological Institute of America

Simon Wolf shares why the time was right to open a new office here, what he looks for in a retail partner, and why he loves U.S. consumers.

A third-generation jeweler, Ginsberg worked at his family’s store, Ginsberg Jewelers, from 1948 until his retirement in 2019.

The company failed to file its quarterly reports in a timely manner.

The organization also announced its board of directors.

Charms may be tiny but with their small size comes endless layering possibilities, from bracelets to necklaces and earrings.

Paola Sasplugas, co-founder of the Barcelona-based jewelry brand, received the Fine Jewelry Award.

A platinum Zenith-powered Daytona commissioned in the late ‘90s will headline Sotheby’s Important Watches sale in Geneva next month.

The Signet Jewelers-owned retailer wants to encourage younger shoppers to wear fine jewelry every day, not just on special occasions.

The 21 pieces, all from a private collector, will be offered at its Magnificent Jewels auction next month.

Lilian Raji answers a question from a reader who is looking to grow her jewelry business but has a limited marketing budget.

GCAL by Sarine created the new role to sharpen the company’s focus on strategic partnerships and scalable expansion.

The Indiana jeweler has acquired Scottsdale Fine Jewelers in Scottsdale, Arizona.

“Cartier: Design, Craft, and Legacy” opened earlier this month at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

Van Cott Jewelers in Vestal, New York, is hosting a going-out-of-business sale.

Industry veteran Samantha Larson has held leadership roles at Borsheims, McTeigue & McClelland, Stuller, and Long’s Jewelers.
The two organizations will hold the educational event together this fall in Mississippi.