( CNN ) -- He is perhaps the most recognizable man in fashion , almost never seen without his dark glasses , a silver ponytail and fingerless gloves . And while the German-born fashion designer has been the creative force behind fashion house Chanel for more than a quarter of a century , he 's still thriving on new ideas , designs and what the future may hold . `` I do n't look back ... Life is not something made by order , we have to fit in the pattern of what life is all about now , and I 'm a person who fits easily into this kind of situation because I like change , '' he told CNN in Shanghai . While his own image is enduring , he is the creative force of the Chanel fashion house , whose eponymous designer , Coco Chanel created some of the most iconic outfits of the 20th century . He may have upset the traditionalists when he first took over the reins , but for the forward-thinking Lagerfeld , it was not a concern . `` My job is to put in people 's brain the idea what Chanel was all about , even if it was not about such a large choice of things ... I pushed [ Coco Chanel 's ] symbol , like the change of pearls , in a way much more than she did herself . I could play with everything and mix it with everything that 's going on in fashion because fashion is about that . It 's not retrospective , it has to be something you want to wear now , '' he said . As for the notoriously harsh world of fashion , Lagerfeld sees it merely as a reflection of the way the world works . `` This is a world with no pity or that you can complain , ' I could n't do it because things are against me . ' No , things are against nobody , if you have something to offer , or if you can be something , '' he said . `` If you want to be successful in the fashion world , as well as the movie world and music world , it 's something else that you need , but you can not decide that you have it . It 's up to you to sew it , but it 's up to the others to use it . In a way it 's the worst of worlds , but if you made in the world , it 's beyond pleasant . '' Confident and unabashed Lagerfeld is looking forward to more creative inspiration and hard work . His contracts with Chanel and Fendi are for life . `` Chanel died doing her last collection in her 90s , so I have time . I do n't think like this . It 's my projection , always six months , six months , six months . I do n't know . People laugh at me to disappear but I 'm not ready for that one . `` I am born for the battlefield . Competition is healthy you know . Some people would like the idea of no competition so they can keep the position for the rest of their lives , but no , there has to be a kind of danger all the time . I think it 's very healthy , it makes you better . '' Watch the full Talk Asia show with Karl Lagerfeld on CNN from Wednesday , December 23 .
German-born fashion designer is one of the most recognizable figures in fashion . Has been creative force behind Chanel for over 25 years . Told CNN he thinks little of the past , successes or failures , focused on the present . `` I am born for the battlefield . Competition is healthy , '' he told CNN .