Chanel Black & White Knit dress 1980s
View Similar Items
Chanel Black & White Knit dress 1980s
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 40 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Black knit White crochet Logo buttons Decorative front pockets Black zipper at back pleated skirt
- Condition:
- Seller Location:West Palm Beach, FL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2848450362
Karl Lagerfeld
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.” During his five-decade career designing shoes, handbags, evening dresses and other items 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. From his first collection, Lagerfeld injected the venerable house with a frisson of modernity. He riffed on its iconography — tweed skirt suits, pearls, camellias — accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment. 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.
Lagerfeld’s collections for Chanel, in particular, 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.
Browse a collection of sophisticated designs by Karl Lagerfeld on 1stDibs, including evening gowns for Chanel, vintage cocktail dresses for Chloé and more.
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.
- Vintage Valentino cream and black silk polka dot chiffon dress 1980sBy Valentino, Valentino GaravaniLocated in West Palm Beach, FLValentino, Miss V cream and black silk chiffon polka dot dress...Next to Valentino "red", navy and off white polka dots are a recurring theme in many of Valentino's designs...The simplicity of this dress will take it from casual to dressy with the addition of accessories, half the fun of dressing! Bateau neckline dress...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Hermes printed silk twill sheath dress 1970s 42By HermèsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLHermes printed silk twill sheath dress size 42 from the 1970s...Jewel neckline dress closes with zippers at either shoulder and a side zipper...Fully lined in silk...Beautiful navy g...Category
1970s French Sheath Dresses
- Carolyne Roehm black and white polka dot strapless dress and jacket 1990sBy Carolyne RoehmLocated in West Palm Beach, FLCarolyne Roehm black and white silk polka dot strapless dress and jacket fro the 1990s. Fitted torso boned strapless dress has a double ruffle hem and closes at the back with a zipp...Category
1990s American Day Dresses
- Calvin Klein 1990s Cashmere Blend Bias sheer Seam Classic Fit & Flair Dress 8By Calvin KleinLocated in West Palm Beach, FLClassic Calvin Klein black cashmere/wool blend bias, peek-a-boo seam dress. Vintage Klein at his best, this dress is sophisticated and perfect for day to...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Day Dresses
- Vera Wang Black Knit Jersey Racer Shoulder Zipper Front Fitted Maxi DressBy Vera WangLocated in West Palm Beach, FLVera Wang black knit jersey maxi dress with racer shoulders, band neck & zipper front. Fitted through the torso, the dress falls in an A line to the hem. There is a 28" front hem ven...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Chinese Maxi Dresses
- Fendi Silky Black Jersey Pleated Bat Wing Turtle Neck Dress 40By FendiLocated in West Palm Beach, FLFendi silky black jersey pleated bat wing turtle neck dress marked size 40. Pull on stretch jersey dress has a turtle neck, long bat wing style, with pleats at the underside of the u...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Day Dresses
- Vintage Dolce & Gabbana black mini dress with crystal trim details S/S1995By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBVintage Dolce & Gabbana black mini dress with crystal details S/S1995. The dress is in good condition just light signs of use around the crystals. ▪ Black rayon chiffon with lining ▪...Category
1990s Italian Mini Dress
$1,201 Sale Price48% Off - Genny Fall Winter 1994/95 Mini Dress Flared Sleeve Documented IT44 Small /MediumBy GennyLocated in Los Angeles, CAGenny Wool Minidress Documented Autunno-Inverno 1994/95 (Autumn Winter 94/95) Knee length Minidress/Shift dress Flared sleeve Bateau neckline A-line , structured shape Dark brown ...Category
1990s Italian Mini Dresses
- Yohji Yamamoto Black Leather Coat DressBy Yohji YamamotoLocated in Sharon, CTBeautiful avant garde leather and wool blend black outer coat dress.Category
Early 2000s Japanese Tunics and Wrap Dresses
- Nina Ricci 'Boutique' Paris Black and White Wool DressBy Nina RicciLocated in Sharon, CTOffering a Nina Ricci 'Boutique' 100% Wool Dress. Rolled collar and rolled hem. Fully lined.Category
1980s French Day Dresses
- VERSACE JEANS COUTURE - Black Evening Halter Dress with Sequins Size 8US 40EUBy Versace Jeans Couture, Donatella VersaceLocated in Cuggiono, MIA simple yet sophisticated evening dress, very elegant and exclusive. It features a double string closure which can be knotted on the back of the neck and automatically adjusts to yo...Category
2010s Italian Sheath Dresses
- PRADA - Brown Tunic Tent Midi Dress with Three-Quarter Sleeves Size S/MBy Miuccia Prada, PradaLocated in Cuggiono, MIFollowing Prada's sleek yet iconic style, this tunic dress features a standing ruffled collar, three-quarter sleeves with similar ruffled edges. The polyester fabric is very soft and...Category
2010s Italian Casual Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
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.
From the Runway to Rihanna, These Chanel Pearl Sunglasses Are the Peak of ’90s Chic
This cheeky accessory is seriously fun.