Claudia Schiffer says Karl Lagerfeld 'transformed' her career

28 February 2019

Claudia Schiffer says Karl Lagerfeld "transformed" her career when she walked her first fashion show for Chanel.

Claudia Schiffer

The 48-year-old German supermodel has revealed that when she made her catwalk debut at the Chanel Couture Spring 1989 show it was a huge "turning point" for her career and she'll forever be thankful to the late fashion designer - who passed away on February 19 at the age of 85 - for giving her that opportunity.

Speaking to PEOPLE, Schiffer said: "[My career-changing moment] was my very first fashion show and it was for Chanel, so that was definitely a turning point. Karl [was my magic dust; his decision to have me walk the runway transformed me from a shy German teenager into a supermodel."

Schiffer has three children, son Caspar, 16, and daughters Clementine, 14, and Cosima, eight, with her husband Matthew Vaughn, and she says her girls will be "spoiled for choice" when they are old enough to inherit her wardrobe because she has kept so many couture pieces throughout her career.

She said: "I've kept so much throughout my career that I have quite an extensive archive wardrobe, so they [my children] will be spoiled for choice! At the moment, my oldest daughter is pulling out all the very '90s clothing."

Schiffer - who is starring in Ba&sh's new '90s-inspired spring campaign - also insisted that although she has staple pieces in her wardrobe that she "gravitates" to, she is prepared to try new trends if they "feel right".

She said: "My personal style is very instinctive. I know when something just works and feels effortless to me and I love the style icons from the '60s and '70s. Ba&sh works for me because it's effortless, feminine and bohemian with a Parisian edge, which are all attributes you can find in my personal wardrobe. I know what suits me, so there are certain pieces I naturally gravitate to and others that appeal when I feel like trying something new. I guess with that comes a certain confidence, so I follow the shows quite closely and I like to try new trends if they feel right to me."