The Fall 2003 Chanel collection began with inspiration from the work of painter Kasimir Malevich. In Vogue's review of the collection Sarah Mower stated in part that; 'Lagerfeld mixed things up with his usual polymath flair... The decorative vibe ran through the collection.... In other words, all the usual playfulness of Chanel ready-to-wear was there, done with a light-handed touch that underscored Coco's legacy of flexibility—and fun— in the reign of King Karl." This is a wonderful example of his work from this time period and it is so versatile with the two pieces as you can wear them together or mix and match with other pieces you already own.

The dress set is stunning. It has an easy, sexy feel to it that I love. It is actually a set made up of two separate pieces. The inner dress is made from a fine high end black silk. It is suspended from the shoulders by two little silk straps. The bodice is cut to skim over you and the back dips into a low V. The seam at the waist that is set on a pretty inverted curve for a bit of a play on the twenties, a theme he often touched on. The skirt falls from there, skims over the hips and widens out as it nears the hem. The hem is cut on that same inverted curve as the waist seam at the front and then the back sweeps down into a longer slightly point hem that mirrors the dip on the back. Over that goes the top chiffon piece. This top piece is so well made that you can easily wear it to the back or to the front. I have included photos of it both ways for you. The top layer slips on and buttons into place with a row of glossy black buttons. It has that same  hemline as the under dress with one side set on a curve and the other ending in a point. Depending on which way you wear it you get a totally different feel when it is layered over the inner piece. Both the dress and its matching are edged in a black fur. The lightness of the silk give it beautiful movement once on the body. My photos do not come close to doing it full justice. Excellent condition.

Both piece are unlined. The inner dress closes with a hidden set back zipper and the over lay closes with buttons. Tagged a Chanel 40. It appears to have been worn very little if at all.

Inner Dress
Bust: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: to 14.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: to 19" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 16" from top of shoulders to the waist
Skirt: 28" from waist to front hem, 41" to longest point on hem

Overlay
Bust: 17" flat across from side seam to side seam
Waist: 16.5" flat across from side seam to side seam
Hips: 23" flat across from side seam to side seam
Bodice: 15" from top of shoulder to waist
Skirt: 35" from waist to longest point of the hem

Modern Sizing Equivalent: XS-SML

Item# DD3868

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

I have a small collection of historically important, key designer labelled vintage furs and fur trimmed pieces stored away in my archives that I will be slowly posting on the site over the next couple of years until I have none left. I will no longer be buying furs for the shop moving forward and have not purchased anything for several years now. I feel like times have changed and while there still is a place for vintage furs for some, including collectors and historians, many modern girls are choosing other options. Many of the pieces in my collection are representative of the designer during a set time period in history that was different then our modern outlook. I have decided that the best course to handle this controversial issue is to let the pieces I have go rather then sit in a cold storage unit. Fur coats are final sale.