CHANEL Vintage antique gold-tone quilted faux pearl clip on earring
View Similar Items
CHANEL Vintage antique gold-tone quilted faux pearl clip on earring
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. The 1957 two-tone slingback pumps had a practical heel height while offering a bold statement in the black tip of the shoes. 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.
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. His collections for Chanel displayed his knack for synthesizing old and new, high and low. Lagerfeld revived Chanel ballet flats and thoroughly embraced the classic logo's interlocking CCs, which took the form of a clasp featured on so many of the rare Chanel bags that are much sought after today.
Vintage Karl Lagerfeld designs for Chanel dresses, coats and other clothing of the 1980s, '90s and 2000s riffed on its iconography, accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment. And as the 1990s have become associated with styles adopted by today’s supermodels and influencers, vintage Chanel bags of the 1990s are among the most prized of the brand’s offerings.
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.
- BOTTEGA VENETA sterling silver pale yellow intrecciato plexi cuff braceletBy Bottega VenetaLocated in Hong Kong, NTBOTTEGA VENETA sterling silver pale yellow intrecciato plexi cuff bracelet Reference: TGAS/A03441 Brand: Bottega Veneta Designer: Tomas Maie...Category
2010s Italian Blouses
- rare SAINT LAURENT Hedi Slimane Marrakech Runway stone crescent moon necklaceBy Saint LaurentLocated in Hong Kong, NTrare SAINT LAURENT Hedi Slimane Marrakech Runway stone crescent moon necklace Reference: TGAS/B01691 Brand: Saint Laurent Designer: Hedi Sliman Material: Metal Color: Silver Pa...Category
2010s Blouses
- new HERMES Chain D'ancre rose gold plated pink leather pendant short necklaceBy HermèsLocated in Hong Kong, NTnew HERMES Chain D'ancre rose gold plated pink leather pendant short necklace Reference: MELK/A00169 Brand: Hermes Collection: Chain D'Ancre Material: Rose Gold plated Color: Ro...Category
2010s Blouses
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN Runway Rose Choker gunmetal silver black jewel choker necklaceBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Hong Kong, NTALEXANDER MCQUEEN Runway Rose Choker gunmetal silver black jewel choker necklace Reference: KEDG/A00004 Brand: Alexander McQueen Designer: Sarah Burton Material: Metal Color: Si...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Blouses
- CHANEL Vintage Season 29 triple large faux pearl CC logo clasp necklaceBy ChanelLocated in Hong Kong, NTCHANEL Vintage Season 29 triple large faux pearl CC logo clasp necklace Reference: GIYG/A00139 Brand: Chanel Designer: Karl Lagerfeld Collection: Season 29 Material: Metal Colo...Category
2010s Blouses
- AS29 Spine 18k white gold 1.1 carat white diamond 3 finger ringBy AS29Located in Hong Kong, NTAS29 Spine 18k white gold 1.1 carat white diamond 3 finger ring Reference: LNKO/A01922 Brand: AS29 Material: Silver Color: Silver Pattern: Solid Extr...Category
2010s Blouses
- Chloe Ivory, Blue, & Gold Paisley Printed Silk Blouse w/ Rhinestone Trim - 42By ChloéLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChloe Ivory, Blue, & Gold Paisley Printed Silk Blouse w/ Rhinestone Trim - 42. This blouse is in excellent condition with a rhinestone trim along the neckline. This silk blouse fea...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Blouses
- Bolero waistcoat in suede possibly painted by René Gruau -French Circa 1940-1950By René GruauLocated in Toulon, FRCirca 1940/1950 France Light blue and beige suede sleeveless waistcoat entirely hand-painted on a musical theme probably signed by René Gruau. Commissioned for a play in the late 19...Category
1940s French Blouses
- Jean Colonna New Beaded Sheer Panel Top 1990sLocated in Water Mill, NYA fabulous black beaded top from Jean Colonna. It is sleeveless with a crew neckline and a front sheer panel adorned with an elaborate pattern of black ...Category
1990s Italian Blouses and Tops
- 1980s Hanae Mori Floral BlouseBy Hanae MoriLocated in New York, NYVintage 1980s Hanae Mori Floral Blouse: This blouse was made in the 1980s by Hanae Mori, the legendary Japanese designer whose east-meets-west approach to fashion design influenced an entire generation of designers who followed her, and earned her her most loyal client, Princess Grace of Monaco. Mori was a pivotal element of the wave of Japanese...Category
1980s Blouses
- Chanel Multicolor Floral Print Ruffle Cotton BlouseBy ChanelLocated in Krakow, PLPerfect for spring summer and easy to dress up and down through the day, this Chanel blouse is a must have feminine fashion piece. Designed in multicoloured floral watercolour print...Category
2010s Blouses
- A. J. Bari Black & Silver Lamé Metallic Tuxedo Style Top, 1980'sLocated in Atlanta, GAC. 1980 A. J. Bari black and silver lamé metallic top with tuxedo styling including a bib detail at the bodice and detachable bow tie. It buttons down the front and at the rick rack...Category
1980s American Blouses
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.