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.
Vintage Iconic CHANEL Charms Chunky Bracelet
By Chanel
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage Iconic CHANEL Charms Chunky Bracelet Measurements: Height: 2.36 inches (6 cm) Length: 7.48 inches (19 cm) Features: - 100% Authentic Chanel. - Chunky link chain and 7 charms : Turtle, Chanel Perfume Bottle, Angel, Chanel Quilted Purse...
Vintage Chanel Lucky Charms Bracelet
By Chanel
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Chanel bracelet with a good luck charm. Each of the seven charms is distinct and unusual. Seven charms, including a camellia flower, a turtle, a Chanel purse...
CHANEL Bracelet charms pre fall 2022 new
By Chanel
Located in Rubiera, RE
CHANEL Golden metal chain bracelet White and black charms Collection pre fall 2022 Code B22A Made in Italy Measures: Width from cm. 15,5 to cm. 18,5 Hight charm cm. 2 Condition: New...
Vintage Chanel LAGERFELD ERA Statement Rue Cambon Paris Tag Charm Bracelet 1980s
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Wilmslow, GB
A totally fabulous oversize Vintage Chanel Logo Charm Bracelet dating to the 1980s. Featuring a solid curb link chain adorned with five large Chanel charms including Cut Out Logo charms and Rue Cambon Charms. This bracelet celebrates the heritage of the House of Chanel with 31 Rue Cambon the reknowned Parisian address of the House of Chanel. It was 1910 when Gabrielle Chanel first opened her hat shop, 'Chanel Modes' at the now iconic Number 31 rue Cambon in the centre of Paris. Just a stone's throw from Place Vendôme and rue Faubourg Saint-Honoré in the heart of this very fashionable part of town. The rest they say is history with Chanel quite possibly now the world's most coveted brand. This Vintage Chanel Logo Charm Bracelet is crafted in a substantial base metal with a multi layer 18ct carat gold plating giving a very sumptuous look of high carat gold to this weighty bracelet. Fantastic quality and design as you would expect from the House of Chanel. Finished with an oversize bolt ring, traditional for 80's Chanel chains. Measuring an adjustable approx. 23cm long - these bracelets were designed to be worn long and loose. Some very light wear to the gold plate loss on the bolt ring mentioned for accuracy and attributable to normal use with this design/age. Otherwise in overall very good vintage condition without damage or repair. The original authenticity tag is present on this piece, dating it to the 1980s era. A very cool Vintage Chanel Charm Bracelet...
$1,900
Chanel Logo Bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in London, GB
Designed to elevate any outfit, this pre-owned Chanel bracelet designed by Karl Lagerfeld features a square pattern motif finished with the Maison's signature interlocking 'CC' logo....
Chanel Vintage Gold Plated Lucky Charm Bracelet
By Chanel
Located in Bellevue, WA
DETAILS: Hallmark: CHANEL Made in France Gold Plated The bracelet is in good condition showing minimal wear Measurements approx.: 7.5 inches Comes with box IMPORTANT INFORMATION: T...
Gold
Chanel Vintage 1980s 1990s 7 Iconic SymbolCharm Bracelet Gold Tone Quilted CC
By Chanel
Located in Miami, FL
- Gold tone exterior - Featuring clover, heel, perfume bottle, angel, quilted bag, turtle, and camellia flower - No dustbag - From the late 1980's - 1990's Condition: The b...
Chanel Gold-Plated Vintage 1993 CC Bracelet
By Chanel
Located in New York, NY
Chanel Gold-Plated Vintage 1993 CC Bracelet PRIMARY DETAILS SKU: 156376 Listing Title: Chanel Gold-Plated Vintage 1993 CC Bracelet Condition Description: No house has shaped the f...
$2,350Sale Price|25% Off
W 1.97 in L 7.88 in
CHANEL lucky charm bracelet with 7 iconic Chanel pendants gold-plated, 1990
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Stuttgart, DE
Chanel's gold-tone chain link bracelet with seven iconic Chanel items hung from the chain such as a shamrock, heels, a perfume bottle, cupid, a quilted Chanel bag and a turtle, a camellia, Coco Chanel's favorite flower! All iconic...
Gold Plate
Bracelet Vintage Chanel Icon
By Chanel
Located in SÈVRES, FR
Bracelet Chanel vintage doré Icon en très bon état. Bijou emblématique et élégant. Ce bracelet Chanel vintage doré Icon incarne parfaitement l’élégance intemporelle et le style embl...
Base Metal
Chanel charm bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
CHANEL - (Made in France) Golden metal bracelet with charms representing a stiletto shoe, a lucky clover, a handbag or even a camellia. Jewelry from the late 1980s. Condition: Very ...
Chanel charm bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
CHANEL - (Made in France) Golden metal charm bracelet with CHANEL engraved buttons. Jewelry from the early 1990s. Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: Length: 20 cm SKU:BRAB6
Chanel Charm Bracelet with Leather, 1993
By Chanel
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Chanel - (Made in France) Golden metal charm bracelet with leather. 1993 Fall-Winter Collection under the artistic direction of Karl Lagerfeld. ...
Chanel cc bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
CHANEL - (Made in France) Golden metal articulated bracelet with cc charms. A 2cc3 Collection from the late 1980s. Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: Length: from 19 cm to ...
Chanel charm bracelet by Karl Lagerfeld Fall-Winter 1994
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
CHANEL - 1994 Fall-Winter ready-to-wear Collection under the artistic direction of Karl Lagerfeld. Beaten golden metal charm bracelet. Made in France. Condition: Very good conditi...
Gilt Metal
Chanel golden bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
CHANEL - (Made in France) Golden metal bracelet with costume pearly cabochons. Condition: Very good condition Dimensions: Length: 15 cm - Opening: 3 cm BRAB5
The classic tweed garment has been a wardrobe staple of chic women around the world since the 1950s.
The creative force behind brands like Chanel, Fendi and Chloé was as exacting in his interiors as he was in his clothing designs.
