Chanel Black Perforated Leather Expandable Classic Flap Shoulder Bag
About the Item
- Designer:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Philadelphia, PA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU104216806202
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Philadelphia, PA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Prada Black Suede Rhinestone Alligator Flap Shoulder BagBy PradaLocated in Philadelphia, PAPrada Black Suede Rhinestone Alligator Flap Shoulder Bag in good condition. Black suede trimmed with silver hardware, alligator leather and embroidered multi color rhinestones along front top flap. slide latch...Category
Early 2000s Structured Shoulder Bags
- Fendi Borsa Mini B Black Patent Leather HandbagLocated in Philadelphia, PAFendi Borsa Mini B Black Patent Leather Handbag in excellent condition. Black patent leather exterior trimmed with orange topstitching and adjustable buckl...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Structured Shoulder Bags
- Prada Black Leather Bar Top Handle Convertible HandbagBy PradaLocated in Philadelphia, PAPrada Black Leather Bar Top Handle Convertible Handbag in very good condition. Soft black calfskin leather exterior trimmed with silver hardware and ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Structured Shoulder Bags
- Gucci Vintage Monogram Customized Ladybug Reporter Messenger Shoulder BagBy GucciLocated in Philadelphia, PAGucci Vintage Monogram Customized Hand Painted Ladybug Reporter Messenger Shoulder Bag in very good condition. Gucci monogram canvas exterior trimmed with light brown leather, gold h...Category
1980s Structured Shoulder Bags
- NWT The Volon Black Leather Alice Crossbody Box Shoulder BagBy The VolonLocated in Philadelphia, PANWT The Volon Black Leather Alice Crossbody Box Shoulder Bag in like new condition. black leather exterior trimmed with embossed leather, a silver leather heart detail on top and tr...Category
2010s Structured Shoulder Bags
- NWOT Chloe Mini Drew Black Leather Saddle BagBy ChloéLocated in Philadelphia, PANWOT Chloe Mini Drew Black Leather Saddle Bag in like new condition. Black grained leather trimmed with gold hardware. Unique gold chain shoul...Category
2010s Structured Shoulder Bags
- HERMES black Liegee leather BOLIDE 35 BagBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Hermes 'Bolid 35' in black Vache Liegee (grained leather) with palladium hardware. Opens with zipper on top. Lined in black lambskin with one open pocket against the b...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- HERMES black Toile Militaire & Box leather KELLY 40 LAKIS Bag w PalladiumBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Hermès Kelly 40 Lakis shoulder bag in black Toile Militaire and black Box leather featuring Palladium hardware. Lined in black goat skin leather. Has been carried and ...Category
Early 2000s French Structured Shoulder Bags
- HERMES Marron Fonce brown CROCODILE BOUTONNIERE BagBy HermèsLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Hermès Boutonnière bag in Marron Fonce (brown) crocodile with gold-tone hardware. The design features a slit pocket under the flap and the interior is divided in two c...Category
1960s French Structured Shoulder Bags
- Chanel Black and Beige Tweed Patent Leather Just Mademoiselle BagBy ChanelLocated in Palm Beach, FLThis authentic Chanel Black and Beige Tweed Patent Leather Just Mademoiselle Bag is in pristine condition. Black patent leather is topstitched with white, black and beige tweed in s...Category
21st Century and Contemporary European Structured Shoulder Bags
- Chanel Forest Green Patent Medium Quilted CC Medium Classic Flap BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Forest Green Leather Medium Quilted CC Classic Flap Bag Gold hardware Green patent flap with magnetic snap closure Interlocking CC logo at ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- Gorgeous Hermès Kelly 32 sellier handbag strap in black box calf leather, GHWBy HermèsLocated in Paris, IDFStunning Hermes Kelly 32 sellier handbag strap in black box calf leather , gold plated metal hardware, simple black box leather handle, a removable black box leather shoulder strap f...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags
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.