Chanel Silk Taffeta Black Dress, Spring 2011
View Similar Items
Chanel Silk Taffeta Black Dress, Spring 2011
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: 36 (EU)Bust: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Style:Printemps-Eté 2011 (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:Silk taffeta
- Condition:
- Seller Location:SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
- Reference Number:Seller: VR1261stDibs: LU3536221608862
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.
Lagerfeld 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, he 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, Lagerfeld 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.
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), he used each season’s inspiration to conceive Chanel’s signatures anew.
Lagerfeld revived the house's ballet flats and thoroughly embraced the classic logo's interlocking CCs, which became a common and immediately recognizable feature of Chanel flap bags. Many of the rare Chanel bags much sought after today — and Chanel bags of the 1990s, generally — are objects of pure fantasy conjured up by the late couturier.
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, 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.
- Louis Féraud Haute Couture "Universal" Dress Spring/Summer show, 1991By Louis FeraudLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRLouis Féraud - Organized dress embroidered with mother of pearl buttons. No size indicated, it corresponds to a 34FR/36FR. Pretty Woman" collection, "Universal" modem, Haute Couture ...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses
- Louis Féraud Haute Couture Satin Dress Embroidered with Mother of Pearl ButtonsBy Louis FeraudLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRLouis Féraud -Satin dress embroidered with mother of pearl buttons. It is accompanied by a beige muslin stole also embroidered. No size indicated, it corresponds to a 34FR/36FR. Co...Category
1990s French Evening Dresses
- Christian Lacroix Organza Set EnsembleBy Christian LacroixLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRChristian Lacroix -(Made in France) Organza set consisting of a top, a long skirt and a belt. No size label, it fits a size 42FR. Additional information: Dimensions: Top: Chest: 50...Category
Early 2000s French Evening Dresses
- Valentino Blue Short Dress Embroidered with SequinsBy ValentinoLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRValentino - Short dress embroidered with sequins. No size or composition label, it fits a 36FR. Fashion show model from the 1990's. Additional information: Dimensions: Chest: 40 cm,...Category
1990s Mini Dress
- Christian Dior Silk Dress Embroidered with Costume PearlsBy Christian Dior, Gianfranco Ferré for Christian DiorLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRDior - (Made in France) Silk dress embroidered with costume pearls. Indicated size 42FR. Additional information: Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: Chest: 42 cm - Waist: 34 ...Category
1990s French Mini Dress
- Jean Paul Gaultier Long Black Dress in RayonBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRJean Paul Gaultier -(Made in Italy) Long black dress in rayon. Size 36FR. Additional information: Dimensions: Chest: 38 cm, Length: 140 cm Condition: Very good condition Seller R...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Gowns
- 1990S ALBERTA FERRETTI Cream Bias Cut Silk Charmeuse & Tulle Lace Empire Waist 1By Alberta FerrettiLocated in New York, NY1990S ALBERTA FERRETTI Cream Bias Cut Silk Charmeuse & Tulle Lace Empire Waist Bridal Gown With Embroidered SleevesCategory
1990s Italian Wedding Dresses
- UNWORN Gucci by Tom Ford FW 2004 Black Silk & Tassle Evening Gown Dress 40By Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Switzerland, CHRARE COLLECTOR'S ITEM STUNNING PIECE BY TOM FORD FOR HIS FINAL COLLECTION IN FALL 2004 FOR GUCCI Seen on the runway show, in the AD campaign and in many editorials One of the key...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Gowns
- Vintage Tom Ford for Gucci F/W 1996 Black Jersey Dress Gown w Pony Hair Belt 42By Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Montgomery, TXVintage Runway Tom Ford for Gucci Black Jersey Dress Gown F/W 1996 Collection Designer size - 42 Black Jersey, Fully Lined, Slip-on Style. Black Pony Hair Belt...Category
1990s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- 1990S HELMUT LANG Off White Silk Organza Dress Overlaid With Zipper & PailetteBy Helmut LangLocated in New York, NY1990S HELMUT LANG Off White Silk Organza Dress Overlaid With Zipper & Pailette LaceCategory
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Jean Muir Long Dress Black Jersey Asymmetric Hem with Plunge Neckline VintageBy Jean MuirLocated in Port Saint Lucie, FLFabulous Jean Muir! This understated yet stunning long maxi dress features Muir's signature design elements: flowing jersey fabric, tons of movement and figure-flattering constructio...Category
1970s British Maxi Dress
- Andrea Wilkin 1970s Silk Ivory Fantasy Bridal Dress in Edwardian StyleBy Andrea WilkinLocated in London, GBThis exquisite Andrea Wilkin 1970s fantasy bridal gown in soft ivory exudes femininity and is in wonderful condition. Layers of silk fabric are beautifully arranged to create the cla...Category
1970s British Wedding Dresses
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.