1995 Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld Iconic Runway Campaign Black Cut-Out High Slit Maxi Dress

ID: 0226262

Size: small / medium

Condition: excellent

This highly coveted and truly iconic Chanel black cut-out high slit maxi dress dates back to Karl Lagerfeld's beloved 1995 spring/summer collection. When Karl Lagerfeld took over as creative director at Chanel in 1983, he revived a house many considered dormant, reinterpreting Gabrielle Chanel’s codes with wit and audacity. Over more than three decades, he transformed Chanel into a global force, merging heritage with modern provocation and redefining what French luxury could look like for a new generation.

For this epic 1995 spring/summer collection, Lagerfeld played with themes of lingerie and deconstructed Chanel classics. This important archival dress, Look 127 modeled on the runway by Stephanie Seymour, was also famously worn by Claudia Schiffer for the house’s ad campaign, cementing its status as the most significant look of the entire collection. The silhouette is both seductive and commanding. A semi sheer black silk-lined rayon skirt falls from a wide hip band, skimming the body before releasing into amazing movement. The dramatic high front slit reveals the leg in motion, giving you that unmistakable runway-ready stride.

The bodice is where Lagerfeld’s ingenuity truly unfolds. Constructed skillfully, the bust is shaped through gathered panels that contour and lift without heavy structure. A plunging halter neckline drops into a central knot at the sternum, from which slender bands descend vertically to frame the torso. Precision cut-outs carve through the midriff, balanced by a wide wraparound band that cinches the waist and tying at the back just beneath a vertical row of signature interlocking CC logo buttons. From behind, the architecture becomes even more striking. The halter secures at the nape with gold-tone CC logo buttons, while two slim shoulder straps cross dramatically across the back, each fastening with matching logo hardware. The interplay of crisscross straps, exposed skin, and emblematic buttons creates a tension between sensuality and house heritage. You can feel how thoughtfully every strap was placed, each line directing the eye and sculpting the frame. This era of Lagerfeld for Chanel is increasingly scarce, especially pieces so heavily documented on major supermodels at the height of the 1990s. To own Look 127 is to own a pivotal chapter in fashion history—an image etched into runway and campaign archives alike. For the collector who understands the power of provenance, this is a museum-worthy emblem of Chanel at its most daring.