1990s Vintage CHANEL Quilted Khaki Canvas Mini Flap Bag
View Similar Items
1990s Vintage CHANEL Quilted Khaki Canvas Mini Flap Bag
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.
- Vintage PRADA Jacquard Crossbody Bag Brown UnisexBy PradaLocated in Bangkok, THThis vintage PRADA flat crossbody bag is crafted of Prada’s jacquard in brown and brown leather trimmings. Top magnetic snap closure opens to an un...Category
1990s Italian Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- 2007 LOUIS VUITTON Blue Monogram Denim Amazon Camera Crossbody BagBy Louis VuittonLocated in Bangkok, THThis LOUIS VUITTON Camera Amazon crossbody bag is crafted of blue monogram denim jacquard and vachetta cowhide leather featuring gold toned hardware. Top zipper closure opens to a br...Category
Early 2000s French Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- Vintage GUCCI Black Nubuck Leather Saddle Camera Bag Unisex MensBy GucciLocated in Bangkok, THThis vintage GUCCI saddle camera bag is crafted of pigskins and nubuck leather in black featuring matte gold toned hardware. Front flap double mag...Category
1990s Italian Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- 1990s Vintage GUCCI Khaki Nubuck Leather Saddle Camera Bag Unisex MensBy GucciLocated in Bangkok, THThis vintage GUCCI saddle camera bag is crafted of nubuck and pigskin leather in khaki featuring matte gold toned hardware. Front flap double magnetic snap closure opens to a khaki d...Category
1990s Italian Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- 1980s Vintage GUCCI Black Leather Equestrian Camera Crossbody BagBy GucciLocated in Bangkok, THThis vintage GUCCI camera crossbody bag is crafted of textured calfskin leather in black with equestrian accent. Front flap closure opens to...Category
1980s Italian Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- 2000s Vintage GUCCI Nubuck Leather Flat Messenger Bag Brown Wood ChainBy GucciLocated in Bangkok, THThis vintage GUCCI flat messenger bag is crafted of nubuck leather in black featuring a wooden chain. Top opens to the main compartment lined with...Category
Early 2000s Italian Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- Vintage 70's GUCCI GG White Cream Beige Brown Wood Weekender Supreme Tote BagBy GucciLocated in Malibu, CA🖤Classic Gucci Weekender🖤 The perfect companion for your daily adventures! Easily fits a laptop, or a stash of clothes for a quick weekend getaway! ...Category
1970s Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- Burberry Olive Green Leather Studded Lock Messenger BagBy BurberryLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Style and functional ease combine to form this olive green messenger bag from Burberry. Crafted from leather, the bag features a lock on the ...Category
2010s Chinese Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- Burberry Olive Green Leather Studded Lock Messenger BagBy BurberryLocated in Dubai, Al Qouz 2Style and functional ease combine to form this olive green messenger bag from Burberry. Crafted from leather, the bag features a lock on the ...Category
2010s Italian Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- 2019 Louis Vuitton Brown Monogram Canvas & Leather Soft Trunk Messenger MMBy Louis VuittonLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireLOUIS VUITTON Brown Monogram Coated Canvas & Vachetta Leather Soft Trunk Messenger MM Serial Number: BA3149 Age (Circa): 2019 Accompanied By: Louis V...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Structured Shoulder Bags
- GUCCI Caramel Python Leather Mini Round Ophidia Shoulder BagBy GucciLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireGUCCI Caramel Python Leather Mini Round Ophidia Shoulder Bag Xupes Reference: HB5220 Serial Number: 550613 520981 Age (Circa): 2022 Accompanied By: Gucci Dust Bag, Care Booklet Auth...Category
2010s Italian Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- Chanel Red Chevron Aged Calfskin Leather Small Coco Top HandleBy ChanelLocated in Bishop's Stortford, HertfordshireChanel Red Chevron Aged Calfskin Leather Small Coco Top Handle Xupes Reference: HB5169 Serial Number: 26814854 Age (Circa): 2018 Accompanied By: Chanel Dust Bag, Authenticity Card A...Category
2010s Italian Top Handle 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.