Chanel Python Style Embellished Tote Bag
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)Length: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Period:
- Material Notes:Contact us for more info.
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: CSLMCH69421stDibs: LU33617927072
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: London, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Celine Cabas Denim Paris Tote BagBy CelineLocated in London, GBIntroducing the Cabas Horizontal Tote, the perfect blend of style and functionality. Crafted with a blue denim exterior, this tote features an eye-catching ivory and blue knit logo p...Category
2010s Tote Bags
- Customized "Butterfly" Goyard Monogram St Louis PM BagBy Maison GoyardLocated in London, GBA handbag to truly set your heart aflutter, this grey Monogram St Louis tote Bag was crafted from Goyardine Canvas, a coloured textile made from cotton, linen and hemp, and vitalised...Category
21st Century and Contemporary British Tote Bags
- Valentino Pink Rockstud Tote BagBy ValentinoLocated in London, GBExpertly crafted by Valentino Garavani, the Pink Tote Rockstud Bag boasts ancient architectural-inspired Rockstud embellishments. With a medium size, tonal stitching, and hand-painte...Category
2010s Tote Bags
- Customized "Shark" Vintage Louis Vuitton Monogram Keepall BagBy Louis VuittonLocated in London, GBAdd some bite to your look with this hand-painted Louis Vuitton Shark Keepall travel bag from Rewind's Emotional Baggage collection, where iconic h...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Tote Bags
- Prada Oxygen Vitello Leather Front Pocket ToteBy PradaLocated in London, GB* White * Calf leather * Gold-tone logo lettering * Two long top handles * Top zip fastening * Main compartment * Internal zip-fastening pocket * Slip pocket to the front * Leather t...Category
2010s Tote Bags
- Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Roma ToteBy Bottega VenetaLocated in London, GB* Light beige leather * Textured intrecciato finish * Single circular top handle * Detachable shoulder strap * Strap closure and push-lock fastening * Partitioned compartment * Inter...Category
2010s Tote Bags
- CHANEL Grand Shopping Tote (GST) Bag Black Caviar with Silver Hardware 2013By ChanelLocated in Huddersfield, GBCHANEL Grand Shopping Tote (GST) Black Caviar with Silver Hardware 2013. This bag is in excellent condition, the bag still holds its original shape, and the hardware is still very s...Category
2010s Tote Bags
- Chanel 2015 Two Tone Black Ivory Plush Shearling Large Boy Shopping Tote BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Two Tone Black and Ivory Plush Shearling Large Boy Bag Shopping Tote 2015 Metiers d'Art Collection Made from black and ivory shearling and calfskin, this Chanel Boy shoulder bag...Category
2010s Italian Tote Bags
- Louis Vuitton Citadine PM Purple Empreinte Leather Shoulder Bag, Excellent CondBy Louis VuittonLocated in New York, NYLouis Vuitton Citadine PM Tote Bag Empreinte Color: Purple DESCRIPTION Louis Vuitton Tote From the 2012 Collection Purple Empreinte Leather Brass Hardware Flat Handles Leather Trim...Category
2010s American Shoulder Bags
- Chanel Soft Lambskin Bubble Quilted CC Bag Top Handle Tote BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Soft Lambskin Bubble Quilted CC Bag Top Handle Tote Bag Year 2006 {VINTAGE 17 Years} 13"W x 8"H x 7.5"D Made in ItalyCategory
Early 2000s Italian Tote Bags
- Chanel Bowling Bag Luxury Ligne Leather As Seen On Ivanka Trump Red Lambskin BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLAs seen on Ivanka Trump, this is a gorgeous luxury ligne Chanel satchel in excellent condition.Category
Early 2000s Italian Tote Bags
- Chanel 2008 Expandable Strap Shopping Satchel Black Calfskin ToteBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Expandable Strap Shopping Calfskin Satchel Tote 2008 {VINTAGE 16 Years} Silver hardware Strap drawstring clasp closure Chanel etched on clasp closure Grey satin lining Main interior zippered pocket Additional open slip pockets 18" W x 10.5" H x 6.5" D Handle drop: 7" Made in Italy As seen on Jessica BielCategory
Early 2000s Italian Tote Bags
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.