Chanel Haute Couture Suit, Circa 1970
View Similar Items
Chanel Haute Couture Suit, Circa 1970
About the Item
Chanel
In the years following the opening of her modest millinery shop, Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel became a pivotal designer of both fashionable casual wear and Paris haute couture as well as an icon and arbiter of 20th-century style with her bob haircut and pearls. Today vintage Chanel handbags, jackets and evening dresses are among the most sought-after clothing and accessories for fashion lovers all over the world.
The first Chanel shop was established in 1910 in Paris on rue Cambon by the young milliner Gabrielle Chanel (1883–1971), who had picked up the nickname “Coco” while working as a club singer. The boutique drew the attention of the Parisian fashion elite who popularized her wide-brimmed Chanel Modes hats. Soon she added a sportswear store in the Normandy resort town of Deauville, where Coco set the tone for her defining sense of style — traditionally masculine garments reimagined for feminine shapes, made from simple jersey fabric.
Effortless and elegant, Chanel's designs promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by complicated layers of fabric and cumbersome corsets. She followed this success with a couture house, opened in 1915 in Biarritz.
But Chanel was not born into a life of glamour. Following the death of her mother, her father left her in an orphanage where she lived until the age of 18. It was there that she learned to sew as well as appreciate the classic pairing of black and white as worn by the nuns.
In 1926, Chanel introduced her first little black dress, reclaiming a color that had once been reserved for mourning and working-class women. That same decade, she debuted her perfume, Chanel No. 5, as well as the Chanel suit with a fitted skirt, inspired by the boxy lines of men’s clothing and employing a sporty tweed.
Chanel closed her fashion operations during World War II, then returned to the industry in 1954 to design for the functional needs of modern women.
Structure and wearability endured in all of Chanel’s clothing and accessories, like the quilted leather 2.55 handbag — a 1955 update of a 1920s-era design — with its gold-chain shoulder strap that freed up a woman’s hands. The 1957 two-tone slingback pumps had a practical heel height while offering a bold statement in the black tip of the shoes. Her collarless jacket reacted against the constricting styles of Christian Dior's New Look, replacing them with a design that was timeless, an instant classic.
After Coco Chanel died in 1971, the brand underwent several changes in leadership, including fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld, who took over as artistic director in 1983. His collections for Chanel displayed his knack for synthesizing old and new, high and low. Lagerfeld revived Chanel ballet flats and thoroughly embraced the classic logo's interlocking CCs, which took the form of a clasp featured on so many of the rare Chanel bags that are much sought after today.
Vintage Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chanel dresses, coats and other clothing of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s riffed on its iconography, accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment. And as the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers, vintage Chanel bags of the 1990s are among the most prized of the brand’s offerings.
Over the years, the company has continued to innovate, such as expanding into ready-to-wear fashion in 1978 and, in 2002, establishing a subsidiary company — Paraffection — dedicated to preserving the heritage skills of fashion artisan workshops. The House of Chanel still operates its flagship on rue Cambon in Paris, where it all began.
Browse vintage Chanel bags, evening dresses, shoes, jewelry and other clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- A Japanese inspiration printed silk evening pyjamas - France Circa 1930Located in Toulon, FRCirca 1930 France Beautiful evening pyjamas, two pieces trousers and bodice in printed silk pongee dating from the 1930s. Beautiful print with Japanese floral decoration in soft co...Category
1930s French Negligees
- A Christian Dior boutique Chiffon blouse and skirt By Marc Bohan Circa 1980By Marc Bohan, Christian DiorLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1980 France Romantic blouse and skirt set by Christian Dior Boutique under the direction of Marc Bohan and dating from the 1980s. Translucent s...Category
1980s French Day Dresses
- A Paco Rabanne Couture Set in Yellow knitwear and Papier Fou- Spring Summer 1991By Paco RabanneLocated in Toulon, FRSpring Summer 1991 Collection France Modernist ensemble from Paco Rabanne's Haute Couture show. Composed of a pair of Bermuda shorts, a tunic-dress made of stretchy ribbed knitwear in lemon-yellow and a bolero with quilted fins in iridescent silver foil called Papier Fou. This clever and deliberately avant-garde process corresponded at the time to a sheet of rhodoïd laminated with a reflective silver foil. Metal buckle with yellow synthetic stone cabochon to close the bolero. Light crazy paper patina, clean set, little or no wear. Very good condition of colour and conservation. Exhibited and catalogued at the Villa Rosemaine...Category
1990s French Aesthetic Evening Dresses
- A Versace Yellow Dress and Jacket, Circa 1990By VersaceLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1990 Italy Versace Jeans yellow Couture suit dress (manufacturer of products of Italian fashion ) in floss and cotton , consisting of a dress and a yellow matched jacket . D...Category
1990s Italian Jackets
- An André Courrèges Couture jacket and skirt - French late 1960sBy André CourrègesLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1968/1970 France Tailors jacket and skirt Haute Couture by André Courrèges dating from the late 60s. Size A Couture Future. Cream and navy wool...Category
1960s French Skirt Suits
- A Pierre Balmain Ceremonial Satin Evening Dress Bolero and Purse Circa 1950By Pierre BalmainLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1950 France Pierre Balmain Paris evening or ceremony dress with matching bolero and purse from the 1950s. Ivory Duchess satin embroidered with wh...Category
1950s French Twin Sets
- Dolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set, ss 1996By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana cheetah print pants and turtle neck vest set. Spring-Summer 1996Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Gianni Versace Snakeskin leather biker jacket and mini skirt set, fw 1994By Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBGianni Versace; cream snakeskin leather biker jacket and mini skirt. Cropped biker jacket with silk Medusa lining and metal buckle and zip fastenings. High waisted A-Line mini skirt ...Category
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- Emilio Pucci nylon floral printed body stocking, Spring-Summer 1966By Emilio PucciLocated in London, GB- Orange, pink, green and white floral print - Deep v-neck Spring-Summer 1966Category
1960s Italian Jumpsuits
- Alexander McQueen ivory wool embroidered skirt suit, c. 1997-1999By Alexander McQueenLocated in London, GB▪ Alexander McQueen ivory wool skirt suit ▪ Long blazer jacket ▪ Multicoloured embroidery ▪ Ribbon piping ▪ Two front pockets ▪ Matching pencil skirt ▪ IT 42 - FR 38 - UK 10 - US ...Category
1990s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Roberto Cavalli yellow iridescent snakeskin pant suit with sequins, ss 2001By Roberto CavalliLocated in London, GB▪ Roberto Cavalli yellow iridescent snakeskin pant suit ▪ Fitted jacket with double-ended gold zipper ▪ Zip-up cuffs ▪ Matching slim-fit snakeskin pants...Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Roberto Cavalli beige croc-embossed leather jacket and mini skirt set, fw 2000By Roberto CavalliLocated in London, GB▪ Roberto Cavalli beige croc-embossed leather 2-piece set ▪ Fitted leather jacket ▪ High-waisted mini skirt ▪ Matching wide belt ▪ Jacket: Sma...Category
Early 2000s Italian Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
From the Runway to Rihanna, These Chanel Pearl Sunglasses Are the Peak of ’90s Chic
This cheeky accessory is seriously fun.
With a Wink, Karl Lagerfeld Sent This Egg-Carton-Shaped Chanel Bag Down the Runway
For the brand’s 2014–15 ready-to-wear show in Paris, the designer was inspired by a most unexpected place: the supermarket.