Chanel classic tweed jacket, circa 2002
View Similar Items
Chanel classic tweed jacket, circa 2002
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 38 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14021974473
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 1983 Lagerfeld was handed the reins at Chanel, which had been gathering dust since its founder’s heyday.
From Lagerfeld's first Chanel collection, he 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 handbags and 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, Chanel 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 — a 1955 update of a 1920s-era design — with its gold-chain shoulder strap that freed up a woman’s hands. Her 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.
- Gianni Versace cheetah print faux fur jacket and dress ensemble, c. 1990sBy Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBA Gianni Versace jacket and dress ensemble from the 1990s made for the 'Versus' line. The swing jacket is double breasted and fastens with th...Category
1990s Italian Day Dresses
- Vivienne Westwood Autumn-Winter 2002 brocade bondage evening jacketBy Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GBVivienne Westwood Autumn-Winter 2002 brocade bondage evening jacket - leg of mutton sleeve with two-way zippers - extra long belt - bondage strapsCategory
Early 2000s British Jackets
- An early Gianni Versace leopard print fur gillet c. 1980sBy Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GBThis is an early Gianni Versace fur gillet in a leopard print from the 1980s. The gillet is made of soft rabbit fur and has a 2 leather button closu...Category
1980s Italian Jackets
- Men's Vivienne Westwood red cotton jacquard button-up jacket, fw 1997By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Men's Vivienne Westwood button-up jacket ▪ Cotton jacquard in a fire patterned design ▪ Curved Raglan sleeves ▪ Cotton lining ▪ Size 50 ▪ ...Category
1990s Italian Jackets
- Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld brown wool and gold silk lurex 3-piece suit, fw 1996By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in London, GB▪ Chanel 3-piece pantsuit ▪ Designed by Karl Lagerfeld ▪ Evening coat in brown and cream wool ▪ Gold silk lurex collar and turn-up cuffs ▪ Gold and glass stone buttons...Category
1990s French Suits, Outfits and Ensembles
- Louis Vuitton by Marc Jacobs fox fur jacket, fw 2003By Louis VuittonLocated in London, GB▪ Louis Vuitton jacket ▪ Designed by Marc Jacobs ▪ Mauve fox fur ▪ Monogram jacquard lining ▪ Grosgrain ribbon belt ▪ Size 40 ▪ Fall-Winter 2003 ▪ 100% Fox ▪ Made in ItalyCategory
Early 2000s Italian Jackets
- Rare 1960s Paco Rabbane Chainmail JacketBy Paco RabanneLocated in New York, NYRare 1960s Paco Rabbane Chainmail Jacket; Comprised of gold-tone linked metal discs. Open front with no closure.Category
1960s French Cropped Jackets
- Chanel CC Logo Studded Tweed Wool Jacket 08A 2008 New Fr 36By ChanelLocated in Merced, CAChanel rare to find studded tweed jacket adorned with Chanel interlocking CC logo throughout. It is adorned with two front faux pockets, weighted chain at hem. It is fully lined. This unique piece is from Chanel Fall 2008...Category
20th Century French Jackets
- Vivienne Westwood SS 1994 Café Society Leopard JacketBy RED LABEL by VIVIENNE WESTWOODLocated in Avon, CTThis gorgeous leopard jacket is from one of Vivienne Westwood’s most iconic runways. It occurred in October 1993, for the Fall/Winter 1994 collection. L...Category
1990s Jackets
- Bolero Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Vintage Summer 1993By Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Palm Beach, FLExtraordinary Bolero signed Yves Saint Laurent, impression of pink and green foliage on a golden background. Extremly rare!Category
1990s French Bolero Jackets
- Beige and Gold Cashmere Officer's Vintage ChanelBy Chanel BoutiqueLocated in Palm Beach, FLElegant jacket in beige cashmere, belted cut, The collar and the eight golden dhows marked with the two famous cc of the brand gives an officer style to this vintage Chanel jacket. T...Category
1990s French Jackets
- Chanel Puffer Silk Black and Beige Jacket Iconic Vintage 1990By Chanel BoutiqueLocated in Palm Beach, FLVintage Chanel boutique 1990s campaign quilted Puffer silk jacket Composed of luxurious 100% silk fabric This amazing silk quilted jacket featur...Category
1990s French Jackets
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.