CHANEL Black and Clear Platform Sandals
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4264761671
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. He 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, Lagerfeld 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, he 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 1984 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), Lagerfeld used each season’s inspiration to conceive Chanel’s signatures anew. And 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, she 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 introduced in 1955 with its gold-chain shoulder strap that freed up a woman’s hands. Chanel's collarless jacket reacted against the constricting styles of Christian Dior's New Look, replacing them with a design that was timeless, an instant classic. The 1957 two-tone slingback pumps had a practical heel height while offering a bold statement in the black tip of the shoes.
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. 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: Beverly Hills, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- ALAIA black and creme suede ankle bootsBy Azzedine AlaïaLocated in Beverly Hills, CASexy and fun Alaia suede ankle booties. size 39. Worn once. Note: see red marks on the side heels **ALL SALES IS FINALCategory
21st Century and Contemporary French Shoes
- Vintage 1980s Bill Blass Red and Black One Shoulder Sequin GownBy Bill BlassLocated in Beverly Hills, CAVintage 1980s Bill Blass Red and Black One Shoulder Sequin Gown sequin one gown with slit on the side. Sexy and Fun Vintage cocktail dress. B:...Category
1980s American Evening Gowns
- Vintage JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Black V Neck Fitted DressBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1990s Jean Paul Gaultier Fitted Black Halter V neck Dress. Front zipper with adjustable velcro belt at the back. Dress has some strecth. Fit size 2/4 Small Bust: 32 inch - 34 inch Wa...Category
1990s French Day Dresses
- Vintage Saint Laurent Black and Yellow Print Silk Wrap DressBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Beverly Hills, CAVintage Yves Saint Laurent black , Yellow and white flower petal silk wrap dress with puffy sleeves and V neck. marked size: 38 France Bust: 36-38/ wais...Category
1980s French Evening Dresses
- 1970s Bill Blass Black Lace and Silk Tafetta Maxi DressBy Bill BlassLocated in Beverly Hills, CAVintage 1970s Bill Blass Black Lace long sleeve dress with silk taffeta skirt and black ribbon sash. Perfect for black tie event. Size: Medium B...Category
1970s American Evening Gowns
- Gucci by Tom Ford Black Knit fitted Spaghetti Strap DressBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Beverly Hills, CA2000s Gucci Black Knit fitted dress with thin strap. Size 0/2 ***small flaws ( see last pic attached)Category
1990s Italian Mini Dress
- Roger Vivier New Gold 1980s Original Comma Virgule Heel Pump Size 8By Roger VivierLocated in Water Mill, NYGorgeous soft gold leather original comma heel pumps by Roger Vivier. They have leather uppers and soles and are lined in silver leather. Marked US size 8 (but run smaller). Small ...Category
1980s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Balenciaga Eiffel Tower Crystal Stretch Knit Knife Boot Black 35 FRBy BalenciagaLocated in DOUBLE BAY, NSWBalenciaga Eiffel Tower Crystal Stretch Knit Knife Boot Black Brand: Balenciaga Product: Eiffel Tower Crystal Stretch Knit Knife Boot Size: 35 Fr Colour: Black With Crysta...Category
2010s Shoes
- Vintage 1970's Red Yellow Stripe Black Vinyl Glam Rock Platform Knee-High BootsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAAmazing 1970's British glam rock black leather boots in the most incredible ruby-red and yellow bold vinyl stripe design. These boots have an inch stacked wooden base platform with a...Category
1970s English Boots
- Vintage 1970s Karina of Spain Floral Applique Black Leather Knee-High Mod BootsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAAmazing early 1970's Karina of Spain designer black leather boots with the most incredible floral swirl applique work! These boots have a unique scalloped edging which works so well with the vibe. I love the shaped heel and seductive knee-high design. Boots like these will leave people speechless wherever you walk! Measurements Women US Size: 7.5-8 Ball of Foot: 3 inches Heel Length: 2 inches Shoe Height:17 inches These Karina of Spain designer boots...Category
1970s Spanish Boots
- Gianvito Rossi Black Suede Collared Décolleté Peep Toe Bootie – It 39, 2012By Gianvito RossiLocated in Tucson, AZSeen on Kate Moss, Kate Hudson, Katie Holmes and countless other fashion illuminati, these eye-catching stilettos are the stuff of legend. Said to combine...Category
2010s Italian Shoes
- Jimmy Choo Black Satin Shoes Rhinestones Feathers Heels Size 37By Jimmy ChooLocated in Portland, ORThese black satin Jimmy Choo shoes are perfect for the holidays! These designer heels have pretty black feathers and rhinestones and are labeled a size ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Shoes
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.