Chanel Black Silk Satin Blouse Top
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 19.69 in (50 cm)Marked Size: 42 (NA)Bust: 19.69 in (50 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Black silk satin, viscose
- Condition:
- Seller Location:SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, France
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Chanel Black Pleated Silk Top, 1966By ChanelLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRChanel - (Made in France) Black pleated silk top. Composition label missing. Size 38FR. Spring-Summer 1996 Collection. Additional information: Condition:...Category
20th Century French Blouses and Tops
- Nina Ricci Black Bustier Top with Embroidery Decorations 36FRBy Nina RicciLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRNina Ricci - (Made in France) Black bustier top with embroidery decorations around the chest. Indicated size 85, it fits a 36FR Additional information: Condition: Very good conditio...Category
1990s French Bustiers
- Leonard Tunic in JerseyBy LeonardLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRLeonard -(Made in Italy) Tunic in jersey, size 40. The jersey is slightly damaged. Additional information: Dimensions: Shoulder width: 43 cm Chest: 46 cm Sleeve length: 55 cm L...Category
1980s Italian Tunics
- Yves Saint Laurent Black and Green Cotton TopBy Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRYves Saint Laurent -(Made in France) Black and green cotton top. No size label or composition, it fits a 36FR. Additional information: Dimensions: Chest: 40 cm Length: 60 cm Cond...Category
1970s French Blouses and Tops
- Christian Dior Top in Black Wool Crepe Embroidered with Pearls, Summer 2009By Christian Dior, John Galliano for Christian DiorLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRDior -(Made in France) Top in black wool crepe embroidered with pearls accompanied by its belt. Silk lining. Size 40FR. Ready-to-wear collection Spring-Summer 2009. Additional inf...Category
Early 2000s French Blouses and Tops
- Yamamoto Black Wool TopBy Yohji Yamamoto Y'sLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRYamamoto - (Made in Japan) Black wool top. Size 2, it fits a 38FR. Additional information: Dimensions: Shoulder width: 40 cm Chest: 42 cm Sleeve length: 58 cm Length: 60 cm Co...Category
Early 2000s Japanese Blouses and Tops
- S/S 1997 Gucci by Tom Ford Leather Sleeveless Top G LogoBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a rare leather tank top by Tom Ford for Gucci. This piece and features the classic Tom Ford 'G' medallion that was heavily featured in the ...Category
1990s Italian Tank Tops
- NWT Late 1990s Gucci by Tom Ford Cashmere Knit Wrap Around Tank BlackBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a black cashmere Gucci wrap-around tank top, designed by Tom Ford. From the late 1990s, this oh-so-soft tank top wraps around the body and features a v-shaped cut at the b...Category
1990s Italian Blouses and Tops
- NWT S/S 2001 Gucci by Tom Ford Runway Black Satin Crossover Bralette TopBy Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a rare black satin Gucci bralette, designed by Tom Ford. From the Spring/Summer 2001 collection, this top debuted on the runway on look 8 mod...Category
Early 2000s Italian Blouses and Tops
- S/S 1997 Gucci by Tom Ford Beige Navy Sheer Ombré Silk Button Up Plunge TopBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a beautiful sheer ombré Gucci shirt, designed by Tom Ford for the Spring/Summer 1997 collection. The button closure stops about halfway up the front for a plunging necklin...Category
1990s Italian Blouses
- F/W 1998 Gucci by Tom Ford Double Buckle Black Knit Wool Cardigan TopBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting an open black knit Gucci cardigan, designed by Tom Ford. From the Fall/Winter 1998 collection, this incredible cardigan features two closures at the front, each marked 'Gucci', which tactfully leave the sweater slightly open. The sweater is made complete with diagonal perforated stripe details at the front. A rare piece of early Gucci...Category
1990s Italian Cardigans
- S/S 1997 Gucci by Tom Ford Navy Sheer Crepe Chiffon Silk Blend Tank TopBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a sensual Gucci tank top, designed by Tom Ford. This uniquely shaped tank top features spaghetti straps with an a-line construction. Not your average tank top, this shirt ...Category
1990s Italian Tank Tops
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.