Pre - karl chanel bags

I guess that would make it - any bag before 1983

I have a shoulder bag from the 1970s in navy with burgundy/cocoa piping, interior and trimming. No logo. The softest lambskin ever.
 
OK - I'll try, but I'll have to find the darn thing first so don't hold your breath :search:

I have to say that of all my Chanel this is the best designed, best made and best loved bag I have (thanks mum :biggrin:)

While I'm looking someone else give us some vintage eye candy,

philippe' - what do you have? :graucho:
 
Hi ya....

Did Coco invent the CC logo? I always thought that she did...

pro_shopper gets the gong!:flowers: The lady herself did it... back in the 50's. This is referenced in Handbags The Power of the Purse by Anna Johnson; featuring photography by Eric Morita 2002 Workman Publishing New York ISBN 0-7611-2377-6 page 7

"discreet and unmonogrammed (the initials were sewn on the inside)"​

I think Karl invented it

Bevyofpurses :biggrin: Very close and generally the common wisdom on this...

Anna Johnson goes on to say
"But the bag did not become a cult classic until afer Chanel's new designer, Karl Lagerfeld jazzed it up in the 80's. Lagerfeld fattened the chain, slapped a massive interlocking-Cs logo on the front, and worked it in all sizes, from a cigarette case to a tote"​

BUT.... There's more....

From my research over the past few years, there are bags with CC on the outside from before KL.

I have found that Miss Chanel used her CCs in multiple directions.... forwards, backwards you name it... overlapping and without overlaps...

So I believe what KL also did was to make all the CCs face in the one direction (the standard we see today (right top overlap). Of all the post 1983 bags I have seen, none have the left overlap - unless they are the no overlap at all style... Anyone know what this kind of a CC is called?

So here is my black bag exactly as the photo in Handbags looks on page 65. It was bought in France and given to the lady I bought it from as a "used" present in the mid 1970's. I love it. But it needs some attention to the leather and I really do need to keep polishing the chain a link at a time...

2.55 front.jpg2.55 back.jpg2.55 inside.jpg

How I would love to talk with someone who worked in CHANEL during the late 60's... but I don't speak French....
 
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OK - I'll try, but I'll have to find the darn thing first so don't hold your breath :search:

I have to say that of all my Chanel this is the best designed, best made and best loved bag I have (thanks mum :biggrin:)

While I'm looking someone else give us some vintage eye candy,

philippe' - what do you have? :graucho:

Papertiger... can't wait to see it. Particularly the stamping inside. Do you know exactly which year it was bought. I would love to hear that you still have the box with the labelling intact too... Working on a mystery here.
 
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^ Yes Mimster. It's the one on the right. It is a 25cm bag.

The navy one on the left 23cm is what I believe is it's older sister. The design is slightly different but all the hardware is the same. See the difference in the position of the front quilts. That's why I think it's the prototype bag. Plus the inside has more elaborate pockets. The black one is pretty much the design you see today in the reissues - but now the reissues have CHANEL under the turnlock whereas these bags have only initials (black one does have the standard country of origin stamp which is why I think it's younger than the navy one). Can't get the full story on the history of the navy bag unfortunately - the seller wouldn't elaborate...

2.55 twins back.jpg 2.55 twins front.jpg

Sorry. Didn't answer your question. I haven't had it treated yet. It needs something as the leather is a bit frail. CHANEL in Japan take the museum approach to vintage bags. They will not recolor or do spas on very old bags because they do not want to disturb the patina. They do replace hardware and I have had them find exactly the right pieces to fit in pre-80's bags. I might have to send this to France to get it treated. Still debating on what to do. I just love it....
 
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