Vintage Chanel Clutch 1990s 'JUST A DROP OF NR. 5'
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Height: 6.3 in (16 cm)Width: 9.85 in (25 cm)Depth: 1.58 in (4 cm)Marked Size: Centimeter (EU)
- Style:Of the period (Of the Period)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Stuttgart, DE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2045218329492
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Stuttgart, Germany
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Vintage Chanel Clutch 1990s 'JUST A DROP OF NR. 5'By Karl Lagerfeld for Chanel, ChanelLocated in Stuttgart, DEA very original clutch made of black patent leather, lined inside with black leather and has a side pocket. COCO CHANEL is shown on the front, it is a Vinyl hologram 'JUST A DROP...Category
1990s French Clutches
- Vintage classic CHANEL shoulder bag calf skin black/white 1990/95By Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in Stuttgart, DEThis classic black - white shoulder bag comes with 7 digits ID card Nr. 6884197, this is around 1995. The whole bag is black and white, the 2 adjustable (short and long) straps, the fastener, the lining with a side pocket and the Mona Lisa Pocket on the back. It is a Chanel bag...Category
1990s French Shoulder Bags
- Vintage snake clutch bag with detachable lang chain, UK 1920sLocated in Stuttgart, DEA beautiful and well-preserved snake clutch, inside with 2 long compartments, one with a clasp and one open compartment. Inside lined with leather. There ...Category
1920s British Clutches
- Hand-embroidered evening bag, petit point, gold plated hanger, 1900 GermanyLocated in Stuttgart, DEA hand emboideres evening bag with petit point embroidery all around.Petit point is embroidered on a coarse fabric/stramine in half cross stitches. The special thing about this bag i...Category
1890s European Evening Bags and Minaudières
- HERMÉS EVELYNE GM Shoulder Bag, Clemens Leather blue jeans, F in square 2002By HermèsLocated in Stuttgart, DEHermès Evelyne Shoulder bag, (Made in France) Clemens Leather blue jeans "F" in square - 2002 with the authentic 94 cm long blue jeans Hermes carring stra...Category
Early 2000s French Shoulder Bags
- Antique Crocodile Beautycase around 19th Century UKLocated in Stuttgart, DEA very rare and unique beauty case made from wild crocodile from the last century. Interior made of natural leather with 2 bottles and glass jars. An integrated pocket for other uten...Category
19th Century British Suitcases and Trunks
- Judith Leiber Beige Lizard Tiger Eye Gemstone ClutchBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAJudith Leiber Beige Lizard Tiger Eye Gemstone Clutch in fair condition. Beige lizard leather trimmed with gold hardware and tiger eye gemstones along t...Category
1980s Clutches
- Judith Leiber Brown Alligator ClutchBy Judith LeiberLocated in Philadelphia, PAVintage Judith Leiber Brown Alligator Clutch in excellent condition. Brown alligator trimmed with gold hardware and tiger eye twist lock closure. T...Category
1980s Clutches
- Chanel 2004 Beige Mini Flap Beige Cream Python Mini Clutch Top Handle Flap BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLSpring 2004 {VINTAGE 18 Years} -Beige python leather -Ruthenium hardware -Classic interwoven triple chain -CC classic lock closure at frontal flap -White satin lining -Small interio...Category
Early 2000s French Clutches
- Chanel 2002 Vintage So Black Long Medium Shoulder Convertible Clutch Flap BagBy ChanelLocated in Miami, FLChanel Vintage So Black Long Medium Shoulder Bag Year 2002 {Vintage 22 Years} Black nylon canvas with a flap top CC turn-lock closure Leather entwined chain shoulder strap Black metal hardware Carry it as a clutch or shoulder bag Interior has a black fine textile...Category
Early 2000s Italian Structured Shoulder Bags
- Christian Dior Vintage Burgundy Leather Clutch with Bow - circa 1990'sBy Christian DiorLocated in West Palm Beach, FLChristian Dior Vintage Burgundy Leather Clutch with Bow - circa 1990's. This bag is in fair good vintage condition with some scratches in the front and back of the bag. The piece has...Category
1990s French Clutches
- Unknown Red Crocodile Fold-Over ClutchLocated in West Palm Beach, FLUnknown Red Crocodile Fold-Over This clutch features a structured style with suede lining that has one interior pocket. It is in good condition with some wear on the skin. Measur...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Clutches
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.