Skip to main content

Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

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.

to
2
1
1
2
2
1
1
1,037
234
214
87
83
1
2
2
Creator: Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Important Chanel Anglo Indian Bib, Maison Gripoix
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in New York, NY
Important Chanel Anglo Indian Bib by Maison Gripoix, Paris. Massive scale based on antique Indian Moghul styles, completely hand made with poured glass, faux pearls on a gilt bronze ...
Category

1980s French Artisan Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Brass, Bronze, Gilt Metal

Chanel American Indian Lariat
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in New York, NY
Recently Karl Lagerfeld took Chanel's Metiers d'Art's team to Dallas for the Paris-Dallas RTW show. Viewers were treated to a luxurious yet campy mash up of Franglo-American styles w...
Category

1980s French Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Gilt Metal

Related Items
Turquoise, Clam Shell Coral Necklace w Jacla Silver Santo Domingo Pueblo Heishe
Located in Wallkill, NY
Graduated turquoise heishi necklace Double strand with attached jaclas and carved clam shell centers. Has sterling silver findings, slide and coral beads at the terminals with sterli...
Category

1960s American Native American Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Coral, Turquoise, Sterling Silver, Silver

Carlo Zini Golden Snake Collier
By Carlo Zini
Located in Gazzaniga (BG), IT
Fantastic masterpiece by Carlo Zini The greatest italian fashion jewelry designer Amazing snake collier Class A swarovski crystals Non allergenic brass 1...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Vintage Dior Emerald Necklace and Earring Set 1980s
By Christian Dior
Located in Wilmslow, GB
A beautiful Vintage Dior Emerald Necklace and Earring Set. Crafted in gold plated metal and set with adorable emerald crystals surrounded by clea...
Category

1980s Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

1980s Kenneth Jay Lane Faux Pearl & Cabochon Emerald Necklace
By Kenneth Jay Lane
Located in Toronto, Ontario
Vintage Kenneth Jay Lane large knotted faux-pearl necklace with over sized poured green glass pendant set in gold-plated metal, 1980s. Excellent co...
Category

1980s American Modern Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Pearl, Gold Plate

Missoni Brown Fringe Gold Metal Choker Necklace
By Missoni
Located in London, GB
Missoni Brown Fringe Gold Metal Choker Necklace This timeless design is crafted from enduring gold metal, showcasing a modern fringe texture. It's an effortless way to upgrade any ou...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

LE BIJOUX DE SOPHIE Hello Kitty pearl cake bow necklace
Located in Hong Kong, NT
LE BIJOUX DE SOPHIE Hello Kitty pearl cake bow necklace Reference: ANWU/A00316 Brand: Le Bijoux De Sophie Material: Faux Pearl, Plastic, Metal Color: Pink, Pearl Pattern: Cartoon Clo...
Category

2010s Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Couture RobertGoosens 1969-1971 MadameGres RockCrystal Stone HammeredWire Choker
By Robert Goossens
Located in Chicago, IL
Robert Goosens, the French haute-couture Chanel-favorite parurier who enjoyed reinterpreting ancient and antique styles of jewelry with rock crystal and faux stones, also collaborated with Madame Alix Gres. Relevant to this statement necklace, the Parisian theatrical-costume designer, who founded the French fashion-house Maison Gres, commissioned Goosens to make spiral-wire adornments for her couture gowns. This handmade hammered brass wire choker necklace with five dropped en-tremblant pendants is decorated with unique colorful beads and wrapped wire. The piece dates between 1969-1971 based on similar unsigned spiraled-wire metal jewelry without goldsmithing marks in the museum collection of TheMet (see our photo), which acquired it from Maison Givenchy founder Hubert de Givenchy, who was one of most supportive fans of Gres. Like the legendary sculptural clothing designs of Madame Gres, this necklace was inspired by Greco-Roman costumes, while its sculpted shapes by Goosens reference her signature curvilinear fabric techniques that earned her the sobriquet of "the master of the wrapped and draped dress". Goosens (1927-2016), nicknamed Monsieur Bijou, also made jewelry inspired by other periods of antiquity to compliment the couture clothing of Coco Chanel, Cristobal Balenciaga, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior, and Yves Saint Laurent. After Goosens collaborated with Gres, he revisited golden spiral designs with Saint Laurent. Similar to the free-flowing fabric manipulated in Gres gowns, this hand-shaped necklace that we photographed in sunlight is a study in motion that drapes across a curvy cleavage. Adding drama to this necklace below its wire choker, the top teetering-wire pendant is a twisted and hammered horizontal double spiral, which is a Hellenistic symbol of life and transformation suggesting the breasts of a goddess of fertility and motherhood. Yet distinctly Goosens, 18 hand-cut and hand-dyed "ancient-Roman-blue" rock-crystal beads are wire-strung to weight a second tier of two separate vertical double-spiral pendants. On each, a wrapped-wire tube divides the blue beads. Between these vertical pendants in two tiers, the central vertical pendants each feature a one-of-a-kind multicolor bead (yellow/blue/red/black/white) in two lengths with abstract organic patterns recalling ancient Italian glasswork. Four more blue beads bracket these larger colorful beads. An additional 10 blue beads and 5 wire tubes decorate the bottom looped wire pendant, as well as the bottom of the wire choker. Like the hammered-wire jewelry designs of modern artist Alexander Calder, the creative complex construction of this necklace surprisingly required no metalsmith techniques, such as soldering or casting, just great skill with a jewelry pliers and hammer. For a bigger picture of couture clothing by Madame Gres during the decade beginning in 1969, she notably designed many museum-collected one-color silk-taffeta draped long gowns with empire waists and simple high collars or geometric cut-outs. Remarkably, the focal points for some of these unique dresses were at the wrists, from where long pouf sleeves voluminously droop around the hands to nearly the floor like two enormous long-petaled flowers. If paired with this equally downward-focused and balanced necklace from this same period, its bold Greco-Roman elements would have pulled a viewer's gaze of the dress from floor to face. Although there is no significant provenance for this necklace, hammered brass and tinted rock crystal were among the few materials repeatedly associated with Goosens from 1969-71. For example, in his overlapping interior-decor collections based on themes of waterlilies or foliage, Goosens hammered gilt brass wire and sheets (see our closeup photo) to represent plant parts or he wired rock-crystal beads to appear as tiny fruits. While the two multicolor glass or resin beads in this necklace are atypical, the combination of blue, yellow and red is a palette that the designer used for other pieces of rock-crystal jewelry and he created many kinds of multicolor faux stones with glass or resin paste, such as faux Tibetan turquoise including black and white. According to journalism based on interviews with Goosens, he often acquired unusual stones and glass for inspiration during his extensive travels exploring museum-collected antiquities. Since Maison Goosens was acquired in 2005 by Maison Chanel, it opened the Parisian showroom Galerie Goosens and associated shops to sell many kinds of reproductions and reimagined works by the founder, which fortunately does not suit the completely handmade elements of this necklace. So this couture piece remains one-of-a-kind. If desiring a vintage haute-couture original by Robert Goosens, we recommend perusing the Maison Goosens website so that a reproduction with a contemporary signature is not mistakenly purchased. Madame Gres (1903-1993) was born Germaine Emelie Krebs, but initially identified her fashion designs with the pseudonym Alix and later Alix Barton...
Category

Mid-20th Century French Greek Revival Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Rock Crystal, Crystal, Brass

Christian Dior Vintage 1980s White Pearl Cabochon Pendant Curb Link Necklace
By Christian Dior
Located in Wokingham, England
Christian Dior Vintage 1980s White Pearl Cabochon Pendant Curb Link Choker Necklace, Gold Plated Very good condition. Light scratches or colour loss, barely noticeable. 100% Genuine...
Category

1980s German Art Deco Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Gold Plate

Massive Articulated Gilt Metal Coin Bib Necklace circa 1970s
Located in University City, MO
Massive articulated gilt metal coin bib necklace c 1970s The unique necklace is designed with a collection of small scale Roman style replica coins ...
Category

1970s Unknown Classical Roman Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Brass

Gianni Versace 1990s necklace with circular medusa head pendent
By Gianni Versace
Located in Nottingham, GB
This rare Gianni Versace necklace is in true style of the designer himself. The 1990's gold necklace features beautiful circle interlocking chain wit...
Category

1990s Italian Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Art Deco Sterling Silver, Hematite And Marcasite Necklace
Located in North Miami, FL
This elegant lovely vintage art deco necklace is a semi precious stone of hematite set against sterling silver and marcasite. The hematite stone which is a mineral looks like moonsto...
Category

1930s American Art Deco Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Hematite, Marcasite, Sterling Silver

Scaasi Red Carpet Gold and Lucite Tassel Necklace
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Scassi goldtone rope necklace surrounding Lucite cylinders and square rhinestones. The clasp has a rhinestone center surrounded by seven faux-pearls. Center rhinestone piece, 4.25"L....
Category

Mid-20th Century Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Gilt Metal

Previously Available Items
Chanel Sterling Silver Toggle
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Port Hope, ON
Very nice piece of Chanel jewelry with two semi-moon pendants on an elasticised chain. The piece has Chanel incised together with a silver marking, an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Sterling Silver

2002 NWT Chanel Camelia Resin Necklace
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Port Hope, ON
This new with tag Chanel necklace is from the 2002 collection. It features a resin Camelia flower as well as a resin CC and leaf shaped anchor at the back. The necklace is supported ...
Category

Early 2000s French Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Chanel Paris Dallas Collection White Pearl & Turquoise Necklace
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Karl Lagerfeld has done it again! But this time, it's western wear. The Chanel Paris-Dallas collection proves that Chanel can do anything. The whole colle...
Category

2010s French Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Pearl, Turquoise, Silver

2005P CHANEL Pearl and Bead Long Necklace w/Box As seen on Cynthia Erivo
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Port Hope, ON
Superb necklace comprises of black and white pearls; black beads, and black CCs, this long necklace will be an elegant accessory for sweaters, blouses and dresses. Cynthia Erivo wore...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Pearl

An Ebony Heart hangs on the iconic Chanel chain with leather sign. 1990
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Stuttgart, DE
A very ICONIC Ebony Heart hanging on the iconic chain covered with leather. It is designed by Victoire de Castellane 2CC8 = 1990 The plastic 1,5 cm thick...
Category

1980s French Modern Vintage Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Gilt Metal, Other

Vintage Chanel Gold Tone Necklace (1984-1990) w/Box
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Port Hope, ON
Substantial Chanel necklace from the 1984-90 period. The chain is made of rings with the CC emblem and the oval disc describes the era of the piece as well as the Chanel name with th...
Category

Late 20th Century French Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces

Materials

Gold

Karl Lagerfeld For Chanel drop necklaces for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a range of Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel drop necklaces available on 1stDibs. Each of these unique items was designed with extraordinary care, often using gilt metal. We have 1 pieces in this collection as well as a number of other designs by this jeweler.
Questions About Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel Drop Necklaces
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 1, 2024
    Karl Lagerfeld was with Chanel from 1982 until his death in 2019. During that time, he served as the creative director for the iconic French fashion house. In 1984, he also launched his own eponymous clothing line, Karl Lagerfeld. Explore a large collection of Chanel apparel and accessories from some of the world's top boutiques on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024
    No, Karl Lagerfeld is not still with Chanel. The German fashion designer passed away in 2019. Lagerfeld joined Chanel in 1983 and continued working for the luxury French fashion house up until his death. He also designed for other maisons, including Fendi and Chloé, and established his own eponymous fashion brand. Find a wide range of Karl Lagerfeld apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMay 5, 2023
    Before Karl Lagerfeld, Coco Chanel designed for the fashion house she founded in Paris in 1910. After her death in 1971, Chanel focused primarily on selling fragrances and cosmetics, but this changed after Lagerfeld joined the house in 1984. Vintage Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chanel handbags, evening dresses, coats, jewelry and other clothing and accessories riffed on its iconography, accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment. Shop a collection of Chanel bags, clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 26, 2024
    The difference between Karl Lagerfeld and Karl Lagerfeld Paris is mostly price. Karl Lagerfeld is the name of the high-end line of clothing and accessories originally founded by designer Karl Lagerfeld. The Karl Lagerfeld Paris brand is a diffusion line that offers more accessibly priced pieces. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Karl Lagerfeld apparel and accessories.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023
    Karl Lagerfeld's last collection for Chanel was the Fall 2019 collection. The show took place on March 5, 2019, at the Grand Palais in Paris. Shop a selection of Chanel pieces from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024
    Karl Lagerfeld's nationality was German. He was born in Hamburg in 1933. In 1954, he packed his bags for Paris, where he would soon start his five-decade career designing shoes, handbags, evening dresses and other items for Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and many fashion houses. Find an assortment of Karl Lagerfeld apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024
    Karl Lagerfeld was at Fendi from 1965 until his death in 2019. He designed for the Italian luxury fashion label on and off during that period. He also worked for numerous other maisons, including Chanel and Chloé, and had his own fashion brand called Karl Lagerfeld. On 1stDibs, shop a range of Karl Lagerfeld apparel and accessories.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 16, 2024
    There is more than one answer to the question what brand is Karl Lagerfeld, as the designer worked for more than one luxury house. During his legendary five-decade career designing shoes, handbags, evening dresses and other items for Chanel, Fendi, Chloé, Loewe, Max Mara, Krizia, Charles Jourdan and other brands, Lagerfeld also established his own eponymous brand. Find a selection of Karl Lagerfeld apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 24, 2024
    Whether Karl Lagerfeld pieces are made in China varies. The company has reported that it sources products primarily from China, Turkey and Portugal. Per the origin information included for a variety of items on Karl Lagerfeld’s official website, the company also works with manufacturers in Albania, India, Italy, North Macedonia and Sri Lanka. Its operations are in Paris and Amsterdam, and its main logistics hub is in the Netherlands. On 1stDibs, find vintage Karl Lagerfeld bags, shoes and other clothing and accessories for sale from some of the world's top boutiques.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 28, 2024
    Karl Lagerfeld started designing for Fendi in 1965 when the brand brought him on to modernize their fur collection. He remained at the Italian luxury house until his death in 2019. The German designer produced four to five collections yearly for the label and is celebrated for the shoes, purses and other pieces he created for Fendi. Find a collection of vintage Fendi on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 28, 2024
    Karl Lagerfeld designed for Fendi for 54 years. He joined the company in 1965. Under Lagerfeld, the Italian brand became a world-renowned fashion house. In fact, the German designer, who produced four to five collections yearly for the label, and is celebrated for the shoes, purses and other pieces he created for Fendi, is credited with creating the company’s instantly recognizable double-F logo (which stands for “Fun Furs”). Lagerfeld reimagined fur in creative ways, using it as an accent on purses, cuffs on dress sleeves and collars on wool coats. Find a collection of Fendi on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 20, 2024
    Yes, some Karl Lagerfeld purses are real leather. The luxury brand produces many bags out of lambskin or calfskin leather. However, other bags may feature faux leather, fabric and other materials. On 1stDibs, shop an assortment of Karl Lagerfeld bags, apparel and accessories from some of the world's top boutiques.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024
    Yes, Karl Lagerfeld Paris is a good brand. Specializing in affordable, well-made apparel and accessories for a hip, youthful demographic, Karl Lagerfeld Paris is a diffusion line of the French luxury fashion brand known as Karl Lagerfeld. During his five-decade career designing shoes, handbags, evening dresses and other items for Chanel, Fendi, Chloé and many others, the German-born Lagerfeld was a quintessential chameleon, ever evolving to embody the times. Shop a diverse assortment of Karl Lagerfeld apparel and accessories on 1stDibs.

Recently Viewed

View All