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.” During his five-decade career designing shoes, handbags, evening dresses and other items 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. He 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, Lagerfeld 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, he 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.
From Lagerfeld's first Chanel collection, he injected the venerable house with a frisson of modernity. He riffed on its iconography — tweed skirt suits, pearls, camellias — accenting a lexicon of Chanel-isms with tastes of the moment. 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.
Lagerfeld’s collections for Chanel, in particular, 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), Lagerfeld used each season’s inspiration to conceive Chanel’s signatures anew.
Browse a collection of sophisticated designs by Karl Lagerfeld on 1stDibs, including handbags and evening gowns for Chanel, vintage cocktail dresses for Chloé and more.
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Logo Wax Seal Coin Medallion Charm Bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Logo Wax Seal Coin Medallion Charm Bracelet Measurements: Height: 2.16 inches (5.5 cm) WearableLength: 8.26 inches (21 cm) Features: - 100% Authentic KARL L...
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Button Novelty Chain Bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Button Novelty Chain Bracelet Measurements: Height: 0.86 inch (2.2 cm) WearableLength: 7.87 inches to 9.05 inches...
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Tiered Wax Seal Logo Coin Medallion Bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Tiered Wax Seal Logo Coin Medallion Bracelet Measurements: Height: 1 5/8 inches WearableLength: 8 2/8 inches Features: - 100% Authentic KARL LAGERFELD. - E...
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Logo ID Plate Chain Bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Logo ID Plate Chain Bracelet Measurements: Height: 0.47 inch (1.2 cm) Wearable Length: 7.67 inches (19.5cm) Features: - 100% Authentic KARL LAGERFELD. - Embo...
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Iconic Logo Multi Charm Necklace
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD Iconic Logo Multi Charm Necklace Measurements: Height: 2.16 inches (5.5 cm) Wearable Length: 16.14 inches (41 cm) Feature...
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD KL Logo Button Novelty Cuff Bracelet
By Karl Lagerfeld
Located in Kingersheim, Alsace
Vintage KARL LAGERFELD KL Logo Button Novelty Cuff Bracelet Measurements: Height: 1.14 inches (2.9 cm) Inner Circumference: 6.88 inches (17.5 cm) Features: - 100% Authentic KARL LA...
Vintage Chanel Karl Lagerfeld Chain Logo Charm Bracelet 1980s
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Our Vintage Chanel Logo Charm Bracelet. A stunning statement charm bracelet from the House of Chanel hailing from the uber glam 1980s and the reign of Karl Lagerfeld and Victoire de ...
Vintage Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Statement Chain CC Logo Charm Bracelet 1980s
By Chanel
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Our Vintage Chanel Logo Charm Bracelet. A stunning statement charm bracelet from the House of Chanel hailing from the uber glam 1980s. The large interlocking CC motif medallion dropp...
Vintage Chanel Chain Logo Charm Bracelet by Karl Lagerfeld 1980s
By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel
Located in Wilmslow, GB
Our Vintage Chanel Logo Charm Bracelet. A stunning statement charm bracelet from the House of Chanel hailing from the uber glam 1980s and the now legendary era of Karl Lagerfeld and ...
CHANEL Vintage Gold CC Logo Medallion Link Bracelet
By Chanel
Located in Bellevue, WA
DETAILS: Hallmark: Oval tag CHANEL Made in France Gold Plated The bracelet is in good condition showing minimal wear Measurement approx.: chain length 19.5cm Comes with box IMPORTAN...
Gold
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...
Chanel 80's Charms Logo Bracelet
By Chanel
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Vintage Chanel gold-tone charm bracelet featuring multiple circular medallions with the iconic interlocking CC logo, from the Spring 1993 Collection by Karl Lagerfeld.
Gold Plate
