Chanel couture Light Cream Velvet Dress, c. late 1960s
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Length: 53 in (134.62 cm)Bust: 32 in (81.28 cm)Waist: 24 in (60.96 cm)Hip: 46 in (116.84 cm)
- Style:Elisabet (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Dress is in excellent condition. However there are yellowing storage stains all over the velvet(see photos). It would be possible to have the garment dyed professionally. Measurements Bust:32in Waist: 24in Hip:46in flare skirt::62in Shoulder:16.5in.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU917120014772
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.
- Louis Feraud red and tartan moiré evening dress, Circa 1980By Louis FeraudLocated in London, GBThis Louis Feraud dress is constructed from a silk-like moiré polyester material. Worn with a patten leather belt.Featuring a round neckline, long sleeves and fitted bodice. The ful...Category
1980s French Evening Dresses
- Balmain silk cocktail dress covered with embroidered pineapple motif, circa 1950By Pierre Balmain Boutique Paris, Pierre BalmainLocated in London, GBThis Balmain cocktail dress incorporates the house’s well known mastery of tailoring, embroidery and traditional techniques of classic couture. Tight bodice and full skirt. Per...Category
1950s French Cocktail Dresses
- Pierre Balmain silk evening dress with stylised flower motifs, circa 1970By BalmainLocated in London, GBThis couture finished dress is constructed from a luxurious silk material from the Lyon silk weaver Bianchini-Férier. Featuring a fuchsia, orange and saffro...Category
1970s French Sheath Dresses
- Christian Dior hand printed silk evening blouse. circa 1970sBy Christian DiorLocated in London, GBDior is synonymous with excellence. The importance of the house’s history and cultural legacy invests a Dior garment with fashion that tells a story. Femininity, simplicity and good...Category
1970s British Blouses
- Ossie Clark moss crepe and satin full length evening dress, circa 1970sBy Ossie Clark, Ossie Clark for RadleyLocated in London, GBOssie Clark was one of Britain's most influential fashion designers of the 1960s and 1970s. Clark defined the spirit of London during the period between Mary Quant’s go-go mini-skirt and Malcolm Maclaren and Vivienne Westwood’s subversive punk movement, from 1965 to 1974.He was known to be able to cut straight into fabric without even consulting a paper pattern. Clark was obsessed with historical dress, citing Madeleine Vionnet, Lucien Lelong and Charles James as his favourites.Thanks to his technical skills Ossie Clark’s dresses were sexy, womanly and exquisitely cut. Despite his short life and short-lived career , Ossie Clark is widely remembered as an innovator whose talent and vision transcended the microcosm of the King’s Road, and influenced countless designers worldwide, most notably Yves Saint Laurent and countless New York designers.This dress has the simple, flattering lines of a classic Ossie Clark design. Its flowing silhouette, waist-tie and deep décolletage was designed to suit women...Category
1970s British Maxi Dress
- Saint Laurent “ Art collection Matisse “ribbed maxi skirt ensemble. c.1980sBy Saint LaurentLocated in London, GBYves Saint Laurent’s relationship to art is often refered to as a dialogue with art and a tribute to various artists But Saint Laurent wasn’t just copying artists such as Mondrian, P...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white striped trainBy Roland KleinLocated in Austin, TX1980s Roland Klein black strapless dress with black and white train. Acetate fabric. 34" bust, 26" waist, 40" hips, 48" front length - 54 1/2" ba...Category
1980s British Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Vivienne Westwood Nude Satin, Black Lace and Velvet Corset and Skirt, FW 1996By Vivienne WestwoodLocated in London, GB▪ Brand: Vivienne Westwood Gold Label ▪ Creative Director: Vivienne Westwood ▪ Collection: Fall-Winter 1996 ▪ Fabric: Black Lace, Nude Satin ▪ Details: One-shoulder corset top adorn...Category
1990s English Evening Dresses and Gowns
- 1960s Galanos Creme Long Sleeve Dress with Green Rhinestones EmbellishmentBy Galanos for Amelia Gray, James GalanosLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1960s James Galanos from Amelia Gray Boutique Creme silk crinkle long sleeve dress embellished in green rhinestones and white beads. Dress has some issues on the arm pit . ( see imag...Category
1960s American Wedding Dresses
- 1980s Jacqueline de Ribes Deep Purple Taffeta One-Shoulder Cocktail Dress w RoseBy Jacqueline de RibesLocated in Gresham, OR1980s Jacqueline de Ribes Deep Purple Taffeta One-Shoulder Cocktail Dress w Roses: This documented Jacqueline de Ribes heavily boned, ruched, asymmetrical, ingeniously designed mi...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- 1970s Geoffrey Beene Red, Black, and Green Plaid Maxi DressBy Geoffrey Beene, Geoffrey Been BoutiqueLocated in Beverly Hills, CA1970s Geoffrey Beene Plaid maxi long sleeve dress with beautiful collar and large belt. color : red, black, green and white paten leather belt po...Category
1970s American Wedding Dresses
- Blue sequin dress with white star sequins pattern JC/DCBy JC DE CASTELBAJACLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBlue sequin dress with white star sequins pattern . Fabric composition: 100% polyester. The back is plain polyester satin. Orange cotton ribbing on the neck-line,on the bottom edge a...Category
Early 2000s Indian Cocktail Dresses
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.