Chanel camellia top from Chanel spring/summer 2001 collection.
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 44 (EU)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Sheung Wan, HK
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU323211733562
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Chanel Colourful Pattern TopBy Chanel, Karl LagerfeldLocated in Sheung Wan, HK- Chanel colourful pattern top. - Size 42.Category
Early 2000s French Pullovers
- 2008 Chanel Colour Blocked Cashmere SweaterBy ChanelLocated in Sheung Wan, HK- Featuring a Retro style warm colours(carol/red/blue/yellow) palettes cashmere sweater from 2008 collection. - Embroidered three mini copper plane pins. - 100% cashmere. - Made ...Category
20th Century French Pullovers
- Mugler by Thierry Mugler Light Beige Mock Neck Wool SweaterBy Thierry MuglerLocated in Sheung Wan, HK- Vintage 90s Mugler by Thierry Mugler light beige mock neck wool pullover sweater. Featuring ribbed neck, sleeves and hem. A very details design sweater. ...Category
1990s Italian Pullovers
- Chanel Dark Navy Heavy Wool Knitted Pullover SweaterBy ChanelLocated in Sheung Wan, HK- Chanel dark navy heavy wool knitted pullover sweater from fall 1999 collection. - Silver lining in front and right sleeve. - Size 40. - 98% Wool,...Category
1990s French Pullovers
- Chanel Purple with Red Trim Collar Pullover Cashmere SweaterBy ChanelLocated in Sheung Wan, HK- Chanel purple with red trim collar pullover cashmere sweater from year 2008collection. - Featuring two side pockets, rogan sleeves and "CC" logo on the lower left. - Made in Fr...Category
Early 2000s French Pullovers
- Gianni Versace Black Knitted Wool Side Silt SweaterBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Sheung Wan, HK- Vintage 90s Gianni Versace black knitted wool pullover sweater. You can also wear it as a dress. - Featuring knitted floral pattern. Different knitted pattern on the hem. - Sid...Category
1990s Italian Pullovers
- Kenzo Detailed Whimisical Embroidered "Eye" Crew Neck PulloverBy KenzoLocated in New York, NYIconic Kenzo wonderfully detailed whimsical embroidered "Eye" accented with a felted wool center with multi-colors of silk threaded embroidery in this crew-neck pullover top. ...Category
1990s Japanese Pullovers
- 1970s Franck Olivier Vintage Bell Sleeve SweaterBy Franck OlivierLocated in Sparks, NVDarling vintage 1970s knit sweater top in navy blue and off white by Franck Olivier from the estate of Pamela Lewis (Jerry Lewis/ Gary Lewis). Fitted design with 3/4 length bell slee...Category
1970s French Pullovers
- John Galliano 1990s Gatsby Roaring 20s Print Rayon Vintage 90s Cardigan TopBy John GallianoLocated in San Diego, CARare 1990s JOHN GALLIANO Great Gatsby Roarin' 20s novelty print rayon cardigan ! Features rhinestone buttons up the front. Lightweight soft rayon fabric stretches to fit. Can easily ...Category
1990s Italian Cardigans
- Vintage Sonia Rykiel 1990s 'Love' Rhinestone Striped Black Ivory Pink CardiganBy Sonia RykielLocated in San Diego, CAChic 90s SONIA RYKIEL black, ivory and bubblegum pink rhinestone encrusted 'LOVE' cardigan top! Buttons of the front, with the word, LOVE encrusted in rhinestones at left waist. Smal...Category
1990s Italian Cardigans
- Marc Jacobs Cream Baby Alpaca Turtle-Neck Cable-Knit SweaterBy Marc JacobsLocated in New York, NYMarc Jacobs wonderfully warm cream turtle-neck sweater of baby-alpaca will definitely keep you warm. Taken at un-stretched conditions: collar height measures 2 1/2 inches, shoulde...Category
1990s Peruvian Pullovers
- F/W 2000 Gucci by Tom Ford GG Mock Neck Stretch Silk Blend Beige Sweater TopBy Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in West Hollywood, CAPresenting a beige Gucci mock neck sweater vest, designed by Tom Ford. From the Fall/Winter 2000 collection, this beautiful sweater vest is ribbed and features a square Gucci 'G' pat...Category
Early 2000s Italian Blouses and Tops
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.