CHANEL FALL/WINTER 1991 BLACK LEATHER GOLD PLATED CHAIN TASSEL SKIRT BELT

Black lambskin leather tassel belt from Chanel’s Fall/Winter 1991 ready-to-wear runway show under the artistic direction of Karl Lagerfeld.

“Lagerfeld is deliberately provocative,” noted Vogue in January 1991, “taking his Chanel show to the edge of an abyss of kitsch and funk. His wild accessorizing with heavy metal and biker boots has had a powerful influence.” His genius was what today would be called the high/low mix, but might be better understood as uptown meets downtown, a distinction that speaks more of status than geography. Vogue photographed Karen Mulder looking like a million bucks in the designer’s classically styled black and white mini dress with quintessential camellia detailing worn with several layered belts that appeared with headline-making profusion on the runway. (Lagerfeld told a wire service at the time that the models were adorned “just like a Christmas tree.”)

Victoire de Castellane’s bold aesthetic and playful approach to designs led her to leading Chanel’s costume jewelry department into an era of vibrancy and energetic ingenuity under Karl Lagerfeld’s creative direction. These black resin earrings are in good condition with minor wear to the backside, as photographed.

L: 88 cm / 34.5 in

W: 5 cm / 2 in.

Made in France.