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Hugely Documented Spring 2014 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Rainbow Print & Lace Runway Dress

This Spring 2014 dress is one of the most photographed and best know of all of the Chanel pieces that Karl ever created. It has a spectacular provenance there are probably even more examples of it being photoed and worn that season that we have yet to find. It's twin was Look 84 on the runway and it was instantly snapped up to be photoed on Keira Knightley for the Harper's Bazaar cover. It, and variations in this print, also appeared on Bogue China, Czechia, Netherlands and Korea editions, InStyle magazine and many, many other publications. The range of models and celebrities who wore this dress is as vast ranging from Sarah Jessica Parker, to Rita Ora and Karolina Kurkova to name just a few. 

Vogue's review of the piece stated that 'The Grand Palais was transformed into a gigantic white-walled hangar of paintings and sculptures—quintessential Basel or Frieze—all seventy-five of them made by Lagerfeld during his Summer of Prodigious Creativity. He didn't actually create them himself—that feat would be too Olympian even for Karl—but he drew the pieces or made maquettes so his studio could realize the finished product. The coming together of concept and design was clearly responsible for the way Lagerfeld's theme infected his collection to a greater degree than usual.... Deconstruction, trompe l'oeil, collage, bricolage—this Chanel collection was a fest of art processes. You never get the sense that Lagerfeld is pushing himself; he makes everything look much too easy for that. Nevertheless, in the ninety-ish looks he showed today, there were more stories than he would usually be bothered to tell.' They mention the serties of dress that used thisprive specifically saying; 'a paint chart from the 1900s yielded a whole group of primally Pantone-ed pieces.' There were 14 pieces presented, the final 14 actually, that had variations of this print on them this dress that was the one that was photoed the most and pulled by all the editors and sold out worldwide. It was without a doubt the dress of the collection.

This dress has never been worn and it is in perfect condition. It even has its original stamped hang tag, price tags and its resealable bag with extra fabric. The dress combines a stunning light scarf weight silk that has that beautiful Pantone palette in all the colours of the rainbow in a print that travels horizontally over its surface. The dress is suspended from the shoulders by tiny silk straps. The bust has been covered in a painted white lace. This stiffens the lace underneath and gives it an unusual texture that is quite beautiful. This is then backed by a nude silk netting. The rainbow silk under that skims over you to a dropped waist seam that sits just over the hips. This seam is set loose and easy so that the dress skims over you rather than cling. Under that the skirt falls and widens out as it nears the hem. Another wide band of lace is set around the entire lower part of the hem. This not only picks up the lace detailing on the bodice but is also a clever way to add a bit of weight to the dress so that it falls perfectly once on the body. The skirt is cut to be shorter at the front and longer at the back with it it all done on a beautiful curve. You can see in the runway video how beautifully this allows the dress to move when you walk. On the runway Karl belted it above that dropped seam for added shape. For many of the editorial shots it was worn without a belt and I love that it gives you the option to wear it either way because it really changes the look at the dress from fitted to more loose and easy. It is stunningly beautiful dress and of course it has all of the amazing details you would expect from a Chanel piece. Excellent condition.

The dress is fully lined through the bodice in a nude silk behind the bust area and an ivory silk to the waist. The skirt is unlined. The lower lace part has a backing of two layers of silk tulle. It closes with a hidden set back zipper and snaps above that. All original tags and extra fabric. Tagged a 34 and has a generous cut

Bust: 16-17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural waist: to 15" flat across from side seam to side seam
Dropped seam: 15.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Natural hips: to 25" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 21" from top of straps to dropped seam
Full Length: 39" from top of straps to shortest point of the front hem, 49" longest point of the back ham

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD4402

Reference Photos/Video: (1-6) Spring 2014 Chanel Runway, Look 84. Model Binx Walton.  /  (7) Keira Knightley for Harpers Bazaar, February 2014.  /  (8) Fei Fei Sun for Neiman Marcus, February 2014.  /  (9) Vlada Roslyakova by Ellen Von Unwerth for Numero Tokyo, April 2014.  /  (10) Photo by Mario Testino for Vogue China, March 2014.  /  (11) Robin Holzken for Telva Magazine, April 2014.  /  (12) Vogue Czechia, July 2014.  /  (13) Vogue Girl Korea, April 2014.  /  (14) Myself Germany, April 2014.  /  (15) Phoebe Tonkin in Chanel at the Humane Society Gala, March 2014.  /  (16) Sarah Jessica Parker for InStyle UK, May 2014.  /  (17) Karolina Kurkova for Harper’s Bazaar Malaysia February 2014.  /  (18) Rita Ora in Chanel at BET Studios, May 2014.  /  (19) Vogue Netherlands March 2014.

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.


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