Colourful Chanel 1990s Fantasy Tweed Set
View Similar Items
Colourful Chanel 1990s Fantasy Tweed Set
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 13.5 in (34.29 cm)Marked Size: 8 (US)Bust: 33 in (83.82 cm)Waist: 28 in (71.12 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU5502976063
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.
- 1980s Jean Muir Floral Cotton Peplum Skirt SuitBy Jean MuirLocated in London, GBVintage Jean Muir skirt suit from the mid to late 1980s. Both the skirt and the jacket are made using a brightly printed and lightweight viscose material, featuring bold blue, red an...Category
1980s British Skirt Suits
- 1990s Gianni Versace Couture Yellow Baroque Skirt SuitBy Gianni Versace CoutureLocated in London, GBThis 1990s baroque trim, celestial embossed suit in sunshine yellow is unquestionably the work of Gianni Versace and hails from arguably the pinnacle of his design genius; circa 1991...Category
1990s Italian Skirt Suits
- 1999 Chanel Green Brown Tweed and Silk Three Piece SuitBy ChanelLocated in London, GBThis is a sophisticated look from the Chanel 1999 autumn/winter collection comprising of a three piece skirt, jacket and cami ensemble. The tweed knit single-breasted jacket with 2 ...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- 1970s Colourful Floral Print Trouser Suit in Waffle CottonLocated in London, GBVery striking and colourful 1970s floral print trouser suit in a textured 'waffle' cotton fabric. The dominant colours are pink, orange, yellow, and gree...Category
1970s American Trouser Pant Suits
- 1990s Couture Silk Floral Rose Print Dress and Jacket SuitLocated in London, GBThis enchanting 1990s printed silk 2 piece set is comprised of a simple shift dress and bolero to be worn as either as an ensemble or separates. The aesthetic is playful, summery and feminine and presents easily as formal or informal attire. The soft ivory silk is slightly embossed with an irregular texture atop a vibrant rose print design in sugar pink, canary yellow, sapphire blue and emerald green. The dress is sleeveless and broad straps are gathered at the shoulders. The full circle skirt is gathered into tight uniform pleats below the waist and flares generously to the calf. The hem is fluted in yellow satin to match the pretty satin rosette embellishments that feature on the waistband and atop of each shoulder. The bodice is lined in ivory silk. The jacket has three quarter length sleeves which are gathered at the shoulder and the cuff to create an understated fairytale puff. The wide cuffs are embellished with satin rosettes to complement those on the dress, and the seams are fluted in matching yellow ribbon. This piece has a collarless round neck and falls into a central button stand which curves at the hem and hosts 4 x yellow lucite buttons. Tailoring below the bust brings the jacket neatly in at the waist when fastened, and a pretty peplum flares out over the hips. The peplum detail becomes more exaggerated at the reverse, where it is gathered into pleats to mirror the skirt. In pristine vintage condition, this charming set would best suit a US size 4, UK size 8 or smaller. Unlabelled couture...Category
1950s Italian Dress and Coat Ensembles
- 1950s French Couture Silk Brocade Dress and Jacket SuitLocated in London, GBThis 1950s silk brocade two piece couture dress set has a stunning paisley pattern in pink and gold threads. The dress features a scalloped edge trim to the top of the bodice and thr...Category
1960s French Evening Dresses
- Vintage Mid Century I Magnin Linen Skirt Sleeveless Top & Jacket OutfitBy I. MagninLocated in Portland, ORThis is a 3 piece vintage mid century outfit in a luxe natural linen that includes a short sleeve jacket, a sleeveless top, and an a-line skirt. The jacket has darts on the front an...Category
1950s American Skirt Suits
- Margaretha Ley Escada Blue & Yellow Woven Silk & Wool Blend Skirt & Jacket SuitBy Escada Margaretha LeyLocated in Portland, ORThis is such a lovely vintage 2 piece woven silk and wool skirt suit with the Margaretha Ley Escada label. The fabric is so beautiful and makes a...Category
1990s German Skirt Suits
$149 Sale Price64% Off - Vintage Sonia Rykiel 3 Piece Blazer Jacket Sleeveless Top & Skirt SuitBy Sonia RykielLocated in Portland, ORThis Sonia Rykiel vintage 3 piece pale tan suit includes a tank style sleeveless top, a pencil skirt, and a beautiful long blazer or jacket. Sonia Rykiel wa...Category
1990s French Skirt Suits
- Sonia Rykiel Cream Trouser Suit W Longline Jacket & High Waisted PantsBy Sonia RykielLocated in Portland, ORThis is such a beautiful Sonia Rykiel creamy ivory textured wool suit with a long line blazer and pleated wide leg trousers. The longline jacket has two functional buttoned breasted ...Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- S/S 1997 Gucci by Tom Ford Beige Asymmetric Panel Wide Leg Belted PantsuitBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting an incredible beige Gucci pant set, designed by Tom Ford. From the Spring/Summer 1997 collection, this matching two-piece set is made up of an oversized tunic and matching...Category
1990s Italian Trouser Pant Suits
- S/S 2004 Versace by Donatella Neon Pink Yellow Orchid Floral Print Skirt SuitBy Versace, Donatella VersaceLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a bright floral Versace skirt set, designed by Donatella Versace. From the Spring/Summer 2004 collection, this skirt and top set debuted i...Category
Early 2000s Italian Blazers
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.