Chanel Blue Grained Leather Bag
View Similar Items
Chanel Blue Grained Leather Bag
About the Item
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.
- Hermès Blue Peacock Tadelakt Leather Tutti Frutti Hermail BagBy HermèsLocated in Paris, FRHermès Tutti Frutti Hermail bag in blue peacock tadelakt leather and green apple patch in crocodile. Spring-Summer 2006 collection. Snap closure....Category
Early 2000s French Top Handle Bags
- GUCCI Clutch in Green Bronze Colored PythonBy GucciLocated in Paris, FRGUCCI clutch in bronze green python. It closes with a magnet bronze leather flap. It has an outer slot at the back. The interior is in full-grain bronze pigmented lamb with a plat...Category
2010s Italian Clutches
- YVES SAINT LAURENT Rive Gauche Clutch in Leopard Printed Satin and RhinestonesBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Paris, FRBeautiful and trendy! Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche clutch in leopard print satin set with rose gold rhinestones and rhinestones covered with leopard printed silk. In very good con...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Clutches
- Roberto Cavalli Mirror Effect Gilt Metal and Snake Ornament MinaudièreBy Roberto CavalliLocated in Paris, FRRoberto Cavalli minaudière in gold metal mirror effect and snake ornament in metal and rhinestones. Removable golden metal chain. Satin lining. Signed...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Evening Bags and Minaudières
- BALMAIN Evening Clutch in black Leather PatchworkBy BalmainLocated in Paris, FRBalmain evening clutch. Patchwork in leather, suede and black rhinestone and silver chain. Magnetic closure. The inside is in black satin with a zipped pocket. Collection Winter 20...Category
2010s Italian Clutches
- YVES SAINT LAURENT Clutch in Brown Ostrich Leg LeatherBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Paris, FRYves Saint Laurent clutch in brown ostrich leg leather. The interior is in smooth brown leather with a zipped pocket and a patch pocket. Will be...Category
Late 20th Century Clutches
- Chanel Vintage 1997 Name Plate Black Patent Leather Top Handle BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Vintage 1997 Name Plate Black Patent Leather Top Handle Bag Year 1997 Chanel handbag crafted in black quilted patent leather, featuring in...Category
1990s French Top Handle Bags
- Chanel 2003 Wood Top Handle Kelly Rare Vintage Black Caviar Leather Clutch BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Wood Top Handle Kelly Rare Vintage Black Caviar Leather Clutch Bag 2003 {VINTAGE 21 Years} Gold hardware Flat bottom Hidden magnetic sna...Category
Early 2000s Italian Top Handle Bags
- Lou Taylor Navy Convertible ClutchLocated in Alford, MANavy convertible clutch, the exterior enhanced front and back with a set-in white rectangular border echoing the shape of the bag. The bag features...Category
1970s Clutches
- Fall 2012 VERSACE BLACK NAPPA LEATHER QUILTED VANITAS Bag w/BOTTOM HANDLEBy VersaceLocated in Montgomery, TXVERSACE Collection Fall 2012 Quilting embosses this leather Versace handbag, which is punctuated with titanium-color hardware Blue satin interior Medusa medallion tassel Dou...Category
2010s Italian Clutches
$1,751 Sale Price35% Off - 1990s Versace Versus Nylon Medusa Pin Top Handle Clutch BagBy Versus, Gianni VersaceLocated in London, GB
Discover the essence of Italian luxury with the iconic 1990s Versace Versus Nylon Medusa Clutch Bag, featuring a vibrant blue Medusa pin graphic print ...
Category1990s Italian Top Handle Bags
$266 Sale Price30% Off - Gianni Versace Vintage Elegant Leather PochetteBy Gianni Versace Couture, Gianni VersaceLocated in Milano, ITElegant black leather clutch bag designed by Gianni Versace in the 1980s, fine Italian craftsmanship. ORIGINAL LABEL AND MARK. The b orse has a classic beveled rectangular shape, wit...Category
1980s Italian Top Handle Bags
$703 Sale Price20% Off
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
From the Runway to Rihanna, These Chanel Pearl Sunglasses Are the Peak of ’90s Chic
This cheeky accessory is seriously fun.
With a Wink, Karl Lagerfeld Sent This Egg-Carton-Shaped Chanel Bag Down the Runway
For the brand’s 2014–15 ready-to-wear show in Paris, the designer was inspired by a most unexpected place: the supermarket.