1980s CHANEL White and Black Ribbon Cotton Swissdot Strapless Cocktail Mini dres
View Similar Items
1980s CHANEL White and Black Ribbon Cotton Swissdot Strapless Cocktail Mini dres
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 4 (US)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 29 in (73.66 cm)Hip: 35 in (88.9 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Cotton swiss dot
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Beverly Hills, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4263074313
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.
- 1970s HALSTON Baby Blue Sleeveless Cashmere Vintage Sweater 70s DressBy HalstonLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1970s HALSTON Baby Blue Sleeveless Cashmere Sweater 70s maxi Dress. Fit Size 2/4/6 Bust: 32 - 36 inch Waist: 32- 36 inch Hip : 36 - 38 inch / Dress Length: 55 inch **** This Garme...Category
1970s American Day Dresses
- Comme des Garçons Grey and White plaid cotton dressBy Comme des Garçons, Rei Kawakubo Comme Des GarconsLocated in Beverly Hills, CAComme does Garçons Grey and white plaid sleeveless cotton dress. Size: small - 2/4Category
Early 2000s Japanese Cocktail Dresses
- Dolce and Gabbana 2004 White Beaded Rhinestones Flapper DressBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Beverly Hills, CARare 2004 Dolce and Gabbana White Spaghetti Strap Beaded Rhinestones Dress with tassel beads. Flapper Dress. Perfect for Holiday cocktail Party ...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses
- Geoffrey Beene Vintage Multi color Cocktail Dress with JacketBy Geoffrey BeeneLocated in Beverly Hills, CALate 1980s Geoffey Beene beautiful cocktail dress in green, blue and light pink. Dress come with crop jacket. Dress has front zipper. Dress size: Small- Medium ( see measurement bel...Category
1980s American Summer Dresses
- 1960s White and Green Beaded Mini Cocktail DressBy British Crown ColonyLocated in Beverly Hills, CAVintage 1960s Intricate White and Green beaded sequin floral pattern on white lace mini cocktail dress. Dress is lined in silk but sleeve in unline...Category
1960s Hong Kong Mini Dress
- 1980s Victor Costa for Saks Fifth Ave Cherry Print White Strapless Cotton DressBy Victor Costa, Victor Costa for Saks Fifth AvenueLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1980s Victor Costa for Saks Fifth Ave Cherry Print White Strapless three tier cocktail Cotton Dress. Bust: 36 inches/ Waist: 28 inches/ Hip: 36 inches/ Dress length: 34.5 inchesCategory
1980s American Cocktail Dresses
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN green silk PLATOS ATLANTIS PRAYING MANTIS GOWN Dress LBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Zürich, CHAlexander McQueen 'Praying Mantis' empire down in green silk (100%) with a round neck and is sleeveless. This collector piece is from the SS 2010 Platos Atlantis collection. Flares f...Category
2010s Unknown Cocktail Dresses
$11,000 Sale Price20% OffFree Shipping - Alberta Ferretti Gray Cotton Vintage Off Shoulder DressBy Alberta FerrettiLocated in Brindisi, BtAlberta Ferretti 90s vintage off shoulder dress. Short dress with sweetheart neckline, gray with white stitching. Zip closure along the chest, on th...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Antik Batik Pink Silk Leather Kaftan Blouson DressLocated in Brindisi, BtAntik Batik women's vintage short dress. Powder pink color, 100% silk, applications sewn by hand 100% leather. V-neckline, elasticated waist belt, lined. 1...Category
1990s Indian Tunics and Wrap Dresses
- Arnold Scaasi Vintage Dress Off Shoulder Floral Organza over Green silkBy Arnold ScaasiLocated in Portland, ORThis is a vintage floral dress from designer Arnold Scaasi. The dress is in a beautiful floral printed organza over a rich green silk and has love...Category
20th Century Cocktail Dresses
- Ronaldus Shamask Avant Garde 1980's Vintage Cream Wool Dress Size 6/8By Ronaldus ShamaskLocated in Portland, ORThis vintage cream dress was designed by Ronaldus Shamask in the 1980's. The dress has front pockets, a back button at the neck, made of a fine woo...Category
1980s American Day Dresses
- Carlye White Pique Vintage Dress 2pc Lace Mesh Peek a Boo Peplum Bodice XSBy CarlyeLocated in Portland, ORThis is an outstanding 2 piece vintage dress in white cotton pique with sleeveless peplum top and slim, straight skirt. This Carlye vintage 1960s outfit has a pretty back bow and in...Category
1960s American Day 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.