Chanel

Chanel is a French fashion house founded in 1910 by Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel. In 1910, she opened a hat boutique in Paris, and two years later she opened the first Chanel store in Deuville, France. Gabrielle Chanel passed away in 1971, and in 1983 Karl Lagerfeld was appointed chief designer of the company. He focused both on keeping Chanel's signature, but also modernizing the brand by experimenting with different styles.

In 1955, Gabrielle Chanel created the iconic quilted handbag with a gold chain, called “2.55”. There was a particular focus on comfort in the design of the handbag, as women in the 1950s typically had handbags that they carried in their hands, but with this design they could now carry the handbag over the shoulder. Chanel uses many different types of leather and other materials for both bags and wallets. When it comes to their iconic handbags, it is primarily lambskin and caviar leather, which typically has the iconic quilted look.

There is an extremely high demand for Chanel handbags. Therefore, it can be difficult to buy a handbag in one of Chanel's stores, and in some cases, you have to be put on a waiting list instead. This is especially true if you are looking for some of the most sought-after models, such as the Classic Flap or the popular mini handbags Mini Rectangular Flap or Mini Square Flap. It can therefore be an advantage to buy at auction, where you can often find a large selection of different vintage handbags.