CHANEL black cotton 12S COLLARLESS GAUZY TWEED Jacket 38 S
By Chanel
Located in Zürich, CH
The front closes with a concealed hook at the neck for a clean, minimalist line, while the interior is fully lined in beige silk (100%) and finished with signature CC buttons along t...
CHANEL black quilted leather 12A BOMBAY BOY MEDIUM Shoulder Bag
By Chanel
Located in Zürich, CH
The signature Boy lock secures the front, opening to a grey cotton-lined interior fitted with an open pocket against the back, embodying Chanel’s modern edge and enduring sophisticat...
Vintage Oversized CHANEL NO.5 PERFUME Print Multicolour Cashmere Scarf Shawl
By Chanel
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage Oversized CHANEL NO.5 PERFUME Print Multicolour Cashmere Scarf Shawl Features: - 100% Authentic CHANEL. - Oversized and multicoloured scarf/ shawl with CHANEL NO.5 perfume p...
Chanel Black Medium Boy Bag Quilted Calfskin Leather Gold Interwoven Chain
By Chanel
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Structured with a distinctly modern edge, this Chanel Medium Boy Bag balances the sharp geometry of the Boy silhouette with the softness of quilted black lambskin.
Vintage 2000s Chanel Grey Black and Tan Plaid Fantasy Tweed Jacket Fall 2005
By Chanel
Located in San Francisco, CA
Vintage 2000s Chanel jacket from Karl Lagerfeld's Fall 2005 collection.
Chanel Small Trendy CC Black Lambskin Flap Bag Gold HW - Boutique Full Set
By Chanel
Located in KRAKÓW, PL
What makes the Trendy CC so incredibly special—and instantly recognizable—is that stunning, iconic gold-toned metal plate engraved with "CHANEL" right across the top edge near the st...
Chanel Black Leather Mesh Cut-Out Peep Toe Platform Ankle Boots
By Chanel
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
The cut-out pattern creates an eye-catching effect, adding sophistication while maintaining a bold edge. These Chanel ankle boots are perfect for those who want to make a statement ...
Chanel Medium Double Flap Bag Navy Blue Quilted Patent Leather w/Gold Hardware
By Chanel
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Elegant with a subtle lacquered edge, this Chanel Medium Double Flap is rendered in navy blue quilted patent leather, offering a refined alternative to classic black while preserving...
Chanel Fall 2010 Origami Trim Linen & Alpaca Dress
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Chanel
Located in London, GB
Gorgeous Chanel raw edge trim dress from the Fall 2010 collection.
Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Spring/Summer 2000 Campaign Black Rimless Sunglasses
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Chanel
Located in Berlin, BE
Each lens is decorated with a silver-tone interlocking CC emblem at the outer edge and a subtle Chanel inscription near the upper edge.
CHANEL c.1980's Vtg Black Satin Silver Barrette Large Bow Hair Clip Accessory
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Chanel
Located in Thiensville, WI
Can be clipped/styled to any portion of the head/hair to achieve desired look. Topstitching along edges of bow. Chanel label attached to backside of bow.
CHANEL c.1980's Vtg Red Satin Silver Barrette Large Bow Hair Clip Accessory
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, Chanel
Located in Thiensville, WI
Can be clipped/styled to any portion of the head/hair to achieve desired look. Topstitching along edges of bow. Chanel label attached to backside of bow.
Chanel 2008Black Embellished Strappy Heels 41 Gold Icon Studs Sandals
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in San Jose, CA
A must for collectors of vintage Chanel and Y2K runway fashion. Great for Chanel lovers, collectors, stylists, or anyone looking for a timeless investment shoe with edge.
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.
The rare looks nabbed by the pop star’s stylist are perfectly in tune with her new song, “Chanel.”
The artists put fresh spins on pieces from the ’90s and early aughts.
Hailey Bieber, Chase Sui Wonders and Kendall Jenner are among the stars recontextualizing the look.
The vintage piece was worn by Jamie Lee Curtis nearly 40 years ago.
This cheeky accessory is seriously fun.
For the brand’s 2014–15 ready-to-wear show in Paris, the designer was inspired by a most unexpected place: the supermarket.
It might not be as practical as a pair of mittens, but for something that looks this good, practicality really doesn't matter.
Only Chanel could elevate humble materials like denim and wicker to icon-level status.