Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld pink sequin lace top and skirt, ss 2000
View Similar Items
Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld pink sequin lace top and skirt, ss 2000
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: FR 38 - UK 10 - US 6 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU140215155552
Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
More than a mere tastemaker, Karl Lagerfeld devoted himself to the continual pursuit of chic. “My life and my job,” the designer once said, “is to forget myself.” From his first collection at Chanel — after joining the brand in the early 1980s — he injected the venerable house with a frisson of modernity. Vintage Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chanel handbags, evening dresses, coats, jewelry and other clothing and accessories riffed on its iconography — tweed skirt suits, pearls, camellias — accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment.
During his five-decade career as a designer for Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and many others, Lagerfeld was a quintessential chameleon, ever evolving to embody the times. An outsize, instantly recognizable personality — his ponytail powdered like an 18th-century viscount, his eyes perpetually shielded by dark glasses, wearing fistfuls of chunky silver jewels — Lagerfeld was, above all, an avatar of style.
Born in Hamburg (in 1933, ’35, or ’38 by varying accounts), Karl Lagerfeld packed his bags for Paris in 1954. His design for a coat won him the International Wool Secretariat and landed him a job with the celebrated couturier Pierre Balmain.
Lagerfeld went on to become the designer of Jean Patou, eventually realizing that his seemingly endless ideas could fuel a career as a designer-for-hire. As such, he lent his vision to everyone from Loewe and Max Mara to Krizia and Charles Jourdan, nimbly moving among a diverse range of styles. It was an unprecedented way of working in the days when freelance was still a dirty word.
During the late ’60s and ’70s, Lagerfeld refashioned Chloé to reflect the free spirit of the day and, beginning in 1965, joined forces with the Fendi family, taking it from sleepy furrier to fashion’s haute-est stratum. Because of his track record for reviving and reimagining brands that had grown stagnant, in 1983 Lagerfeld was handed the reins at Chanel, which had been gathering dust since its founder’s heyday.
Lagerfeld’s collections for the brand displayed his knack for synthesizing old and new, high and low. From Watteau (Spring/Summer 1985 couture) and Serge Roche (Spring/Summer 1990 ready-to-wear) to hip-hop fly girls (Fall/Winter 1991 ready-to-wear), surfers (Spring/Summer 2003 ready-to-wear) and ancient Egypt (Pre-Fall 2019), he used each season’s inspiration to conceive Chanel’s signatures anew.
Lagerfeld revived the house's ballet flats and thoroughly embraced the classic logo's interlocking CCs, which became a common and immediately recognizable feature of Chanel flap bags. Many of the rare Chanel bags much sought after today — and Chanel bags of the 1990s, generally — are objects of pure fantasy conjured up by the late couturier.
Despite producing eight collections a year for Chanel, as well as four to five for Fendi, Lagerfeld never faltered in proposing new ideas each time he put pencil to paper.
Find vintage Karl Lagerfeld Chanel day dresses, jackets, shoes and more on 1stDibs.
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.
- Gucci by Tom Ford pink floral silk shift dress with leather bands, ss 1999By Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in London, GB▪ Gucci shift dress ▪ Designed by Tom Ford ▪ Pink and red floral printed silk ▪ Black leather waist bands ▪ Flounce hem ▪ Boat neck ▪ IT 42 - FR 38...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace pink silk, leather and lace halter neck maxi dress, fw 2000By Gianni Versace, VersaceLocated in London, GB▪ Gianni Versace pink halter neck maxi dress ▪ Silk chiffon, leather, and net lace panels ▪ Hatlerneck embellished with crystals ▪ Open low back ▪ Concealed zipper at center back ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld pink nylon spandex halter mini dress, c 2004By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel baby pink nylon spandex mini dress ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Halter neck can be styled in two ways ▪ Lemon, pink, and white strip...Category
Early 2000s French Day Dresses
- Ossie Clark angel-sleeve drawstring dress with print by Celia Birtwell, ss 1971By Ossie ClarkLocated in London, GB▪ Ossie Clark angel-sleeve dress ▪ 'Busy Lizzie' floral print by Celia Birtwell ▪ Pink and green with black ground ▪ Loose fit ▪ Drawstring fastening a...Category
1970s British Day Dresses
- Gucci by Tom Ford bottle green pintuck leather shift dress, fw 1999By Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in London, GB▪ Gucci bottle green leather shift dress ▪ Designed by Tom Ford ▪ Pintuck detail ▪ Three-quarter circular flounce sleeves ▪ Black leather rosette on sle...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld metallic silver leather sheath dress, fw 1999By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel metallic silver lambskin leather sheath dress ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ V-neck ▪ 2 front pockets ▪ Top stitch seams with raw edge ▪ Curved seaming accentuates the wai...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- S/S 2000 Gianni Versace by Donatella JLo Pink Jungle Print DressBy Donatella Versace for Gianni Versace, Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in West Hollywood, CAThis iconic jungle print dress from the Spring/Summer 2000 collection was designed by Donatella Versace. This stunning dress features the same pattern but a different color combination as the infamous JLo Versace jungle dress...Category
Early 2000s Italian Day Dresses
- F/W 2002 Gianni Versace by Donatella Runway Hot Pink Embroidered Babydoll DressBy Gianni Versace Couture, Donatella Versace for Gianni VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a hot pink psychedelic dress designed by Donatella for the Gianni Versace Fall/Winter 2002 collection. Debuting as look number 16 on Carme...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Lanvin Pink Silk Shirt Dress - 36By Lanvin ParisLocated in West Palm Beach, FLThis fun Lanvin silk shirt dress is hot pink. It features a collar, a front pocket, long sleeves, and snap decorations on the shoulders. This dress is in good condition with some sta...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Day Dresses
- Moroccan Vintage Kaftan Fuchsia Velvet Bohemian Caftan 1970Located in North Hollywood, CAGorgeous vintage designer Moroccan kaftan in fuchsia velvet. This chic Bohemian maxi dress caftan is one of a kind designer evening Moroccan Middle Eastern gown. Vintage exotic 1970s pink maxi dress kaftan handmade in North Africa, Morocco. Unisex will fit Medium to Large Dress measurement flat: Shoulder 14" Sleeve 21" Chest 18" Hip 21" Total length 57". Handcrafted by Moroccan artist fashion designer, this is a one of a kind caftan, inspired by the tales of princess of the Arabian Nights. The Kaftan is a long and wide tunic, collarless, long-sleeved, worn by man and women in Africa and the Middle East. The Moroccan kaftans inspired European and global designers as Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, and many more who made the Moorish caftans...Category
Late 20th Century Moroccan Kaftans
$760 Sale Price20% Off - Vintage Moroccan Caftan Hot Pink with Gold, 1970'sLocated in North Hollywood, CAElegant vintage Moroccan caftan hot pink color embroidered with gold, circa 1970s. This long maxi poly jersey dress kaftan is embroidered and e...Category
1970s Moroccan Kaftans
$396 Sale Price20% Off - Vintage Moroccan Kaftan Hot Pink Color with Silver Trim caftan 1970Located in North Hollywood, CAElegant Moroccan caftan hot pink color embroidered with silver, circa 1970s. This long maxi poly jersey dress kaftan is embroidered and embellished with traditional designs in silve...Category
20th Century Moroccan Kaftans
$608 Sale Price20% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How the Chanel Jacket Forever Changed What Women Wear
The classic tweed garment has been a wardrobe staple of chic women around the world since the 1950s.
Remembering Fashion Designer, Collector and Supreme Tastemaker Karl Lagerfeld
The creative force behind brands like Chanel, Fendi and Chloé was as exacting in his interiors as he was in his clothing designs.