Chanel Black Quilted Lambskin Leather Shopper 2.55 Bag
View Similar Items
Chanel Black Quilted Lambskin Leather Shopper 2.55 Bag
About the Item
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, she 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 introduced in 1955 with its gold-chain shoulder strap that freed up a woman’s hands. Chanel's collarless jacket reacted against the constricting styles of Christian Dior's New Look, replacing them with a design that was timeless, an instant classic. The 1957 two-tone slingback pumps had a practical heel height while offering a bold statement in the black tip of the shoes.
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. 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.
- HERMÈS HERBAG 31CM BLACK Canvas & Vache Hunter Leather with Palladium HardwareBy HermèsLocated in London, GBHermès Herbag 31cm in Black Canvas & Vache Hunter Leather with Palladium Hardware B Stamp / 2023 Accompanied by: Original receipt, Hermes box, d...Category
2010s European Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- HERMÈS MINI LINDY LIMONCELLO Clemence Leather with Palladium HardwareBy HermèsLocated in London, GBHermès Lindy Mini in Limoncello Clemence Leather with Palladium Hardware B Stamp / 2023 Accompanied by: Original receipt, Hermes box, Hermes dustbag, felt and ribbon Measurement...Category
2010s European Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- HERMÈS HERBAG 31CM HSS SPECIAL ORDER NATURAL AND CUMIN Toile & Vache Hunter LeatBy HermèsLocated in London, GBHermès Herbag 31cm HSS Special Order in Natural & Cumin Toile & Vache Hunter Leather with Palladium Hardware U Stamp / 2022 Accompanied by: Original re...Category
2010s European Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- HERMÈS HERBAG 31CM MAGNOLIA, DUNE & ROUGE SELLIER Canvas & Vache Hunter LeatherBy HermèsLocated in London, GBHermès Herbag 31cm in Magnolia, Dune & Rouge Sellier Canvas & Vache Hunter Leather with Palladium Hardware B Stamp / 2023 Accompanied by: Origin...Category
2010s European Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- CHANEL Jumbo Black Calfskin Caviar Double Flap Bag with GHWBy ChanelLocated in Banbury, GBSKU AT-1615 Brand Chanel Model Timeless Classic Double Flap Serial No. 16****** Color Black RRP: Approx. £8140 / $9500 ______________________________________________________________...Category
2010s French Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
- Chloé Tess leather crossbody bagBy ChloéLocated in Rīga, LVAn update on the classic saddle bag, this Chloe Tess bag exudes feminine and pulls from its heritage to create a bag with all bells and whistles that we ado...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Crossbody Bags and Messenger Bags
Unavailable$1,044
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
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.
This Vintage Chanel Fur Muff Is Après-Ski Chic
It might not be as practical as a pair of mittens, but for something that looks this good, practicality really doesn't matter.