Vintage Karl Lagerfeld Dramatic Lace Cutouts Dress
View Similar Items
Vintage Karl Lagerfeld Dramatic Lace Cutouts Dress
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 40 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Water Mill, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: AU13102051149
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.
- Vicky Tiel 1980s Strapless Ruched DressBy Vicky TielLocated in Water Mill, NYA pretty black slinky dress with stretch from Vicky Tiel. It is strapless and horizontally ruched from top to bottom front and back. The bodice has side boning, a side zipper and th...Category
1980s French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gianni Versace Leather Dress with Mink Hem F/W 1997By Gianni VersaceLocated in Water Mill, NYA soft, supple black leather dress with 2" of mink fur around the hem by Gianni Versace. It is a simple, subtle A-line silhouette with small straps, a back zipper, and a full silk li...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Moschino Couture Cut out Color Block DressBy Moschino CoutureLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous dress from Moschino Couture in black with off white trim. It is sleeveless with a V neckline, a waist cut out below it and a low cut back, all trimmed in off white. The d...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Geoffrey Beene Boutique Silk Dress 1960sBy Geoffrey Beene Boutique, Geoffrey BeeneLocated in Water Mill, NYA charming silk dress in a pink/black check from Geoffrey Beene. It has a black Peter pan collar, side seam pockets, black button cuffs on long sleeves and round black decorative but...Category
1960s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jane Andre 1950s Full Skirt DressLocated in Water Mill, NYA great black dress by Jane Andre in a cotton linen blend. It has cap sleeves, a drop waist and full skirt. There is fine band around the crew neckline and ...Category
1950s American Day Dresses
- 1950s Cage Back DressLocated in Water Mill, NYA great black dress with a bateau neckline, short sleeves and small vertical straps draping in the bodice back. It has a straight skirt with a back vent and an attached belt. The dre...Category
1950s American Day Dresses
- Jackie Rogers Classic Black Satin Bias Cut DressBy Jackie RogersLocated in West Palm Beach, FLJackie Rogers classic silky black satin bias cut dress from the 1990s. The perfect black dress to dress up with jewelry and or a belt. The dress slips o...Category
1990s American Cocktail Dresses
- 80s Kevan Hall Couture Black Sequin 1980s Off Shoulder Vintage Cocktail DressLocated in San Diego, CALate 1980s KEVAN HALL COUTURE black off-the-shoulder sequin dress ! Features a nude chiffon underlay with a lace nad sequin bodice. Flowy silk chiffon skirt. Boned bodice. Hidden zip...Category
15th Century and Earlier Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1980S THIERRY MUGLER Black Rayon Blend Crepe Asymmetrically Draped Cocktail DreBy Thierry MuglerLocated in New York, NYTagged a European 36 1980S THIERRY MUGLER Black Rayon Blend Crepe Asymmetrically Draped Cocktail Dress With Sheer Lace Back & SleevesCategory
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- A Pierre Cardin Black Couture Jersey Evening Dress Circa 1976/1978By Pierre Cardin, Pierre Cardin CoutureLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1976/1978 France Beautiful evening dress Pierre Cardin Haute Couture in black silk jersey dating from the late 1970s. Crew neck dress in stretchy black silk jersey, with long bat sleeves...Category
1970s French Evening Dresses
- 1990s Emanuel Ungaro Size 10 Black Rayon Vintage 90s Bell Sleeve Wrap DressBy Emanuel UngaroLocated in San Diego, CAChic late 90s EMANUEL UNGARO black rayon blend size 10 bell sleeve wrap dress ! Tailored bodice with a flirty skirt. Buttons up the front. Ruffle detail at center front neck, down th...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1960s Navy Blue Chiffon White Rhinestone Flowers Vintage 60s Gown Maxi DressLocated in San Diego, CABeautiful 1960s navy blue and white silk chiffon flower rhinestone applique gown ! Features a tailored bodice with hand-sewn white flowers that are encrusted with rhinestones. Sheer ...Category
1960s American Evening Gowns