AUCTION ‘THE TRAVELER’ BLACK LEATHER CHANEL VEST 1992 AUTUMN/WINTER COLLECTION

For the third series of ‘The Traveler’, a KERN1 project, I sent one black leather vintage Chanel vest from the 1992 autumn/winter collection to five women across Europe. Each had it for a few days. There was no styling brief, no mood board. Only an invitation and time: live with this piece and keep a visual diary in any form. They could do anything: wear it, stage it as a still life, photograph it on its own. I asked them to simply look at it and see what came up. What came back are five small visual diaries. The same piece, five ways of seeing.

Midway through the project I read @sarabsemic FT Weekend piece on how waistcoats were everywhere this summer, and how they have been co-opted as a more structured alternative to a T-shirt or tank, letting you feel chic and put together without too much effort. She also notes their 17th-century roots: Charles II popularised the “vest” as a symbol of nobility and as part of an Englishman’s correct uniform.

While the piece traveled, a follower reached out to tell me she had the matching skirt and asked if I wanted to buy it. The set is complete. I decided to auction the vest and gift the skirt to the buyer, keeping the set together feels right. And why a third version of this project? I came up with the idea seven years ago when I started KERN1. I felt like returning to it because it shows how a Chanel jacket adapts, to a person, a space, a rhythm, without losing itself.

A big thank you for the participants for their trust, time, and support @gosiaboy @juliefagerholt @katerinafurrer @jerome_vintage @piaannakierulff @chloe_harrouche_

You all got the unique chance to add this archival piece to your own wardrobe by participating in its auction that will start on the 31st of August at 11 AM CEST for 48 hours at kern-1.com.

A rare leather reinterpretation of Chanel’s iconic four-pocket jacket, cut into a sleek waistcoat silhouette. Crafted in supple black leather, this vest carries all the hallmarks of the maison: structured tailoring, four functional pockets, and signature gold-tone CC buttons.

Designed under Karl Lagerfeld’s direction in the early 1990s, the piece balances classic Chanel codes with a modern edge. This very model was worn on the Autumn/Winter 1992 runway by Linda Evangelista, underscoring its place in Chanel’s archival history. Fully lined in silk for comfort and durability. Details:

  • Black leather

  • Four front pockets

  • Gold-tone CC logo buttons

  • Silk lining

  • Collection: AW1992

  • Worn on runway by Linda Evangelista

  • Made in France

An extraordinary and timeless piece that embodies Chanel’s ability to reimagine tradition through new textures and forms, making it a versatile wardrobe statement.

year autumn/winter 1992

composition 100% leather and 100% silk lining

condition the jacket is 33 years old, and has been kept with utmost care for decades. A few very light marks on the buttons, and leather, but hardly there, and hardly visible. In almost perfect shape.

size fits best for those with size 36/38 EU or 38 EU. Label size 40 FR. For more information regarding sizes see our size guide

MEASUREMENTS VEST

shoulder width 32 cm

bust 46 cm

length front 59 cm

length back 54 cm

THE WINNER OF THE AUCTION WILL BE GIFTED THE MATCHING SKIRT

MEASUREMENTS SKIRT

waist 30 cm

hips 44 cm

length 68 cm

label size 34 FR. Fits true to size

INFORMATION REGARDING THE AUCTION

  • The auction will start at 11:00 AM CEST on Sunday the 31st of August 2025

  • It is a closed auction

  • You will have 48 hours to submit your bid; the auction will close on Tuesday, the 2nd of September at 11:00 AM CEST

  • Every person can place only one bid. Please think your offer through carefully before submitting

  • There is one exception to this: if you make the same offer as somebody else, you will receive a message giving you the opportunity to make a new offer. This will only apply if the bid was made at least 2 hours before the end of the auction. Your new bid will be taken into consideration if it was received before the end of the auction.

  • In the event of two equally highest bids at the end of the auction, the item will go to the first person who made the bid

  • All bids are legally binding

  • All sales are final on this item

  • Please read the full description of the jacket, have a close look at the pictures, the measurements, and auction information before deciding if the jacket could be a perfect match for you, both size, and style wise. We kindly request you to only submit an offer if you feel sure the jacket could be perfect for you

  • To place a bid please fill out the complete form below

  • You will have to fill out your full name, email address, phone number and offer. To guarantee the privacy of each participant, this information will not be published. Others cannot see the height of your bid, nor they can see your name, and contact information

  • The offer should be made in euros. Bids in other currencies are not valid

  • The reserve price/minimum price for the jacket is 3395 euros. Bids lower than this amount will not be taken into consideration

  • The bids are excluding shipping costs. Shipping costs within the Netherlands are 27 euros. Within the European Union the shipping costs are 49 euros, to the UK it is 64 euros, and to any other country outside of the European Union the shipping costs are 74 euros

  • All shipments within the European Union arrive DDP (Delivery Duty Paid), which means that you do not have to pay any additional taxes upon receipt of the item. Outside the European Union, all orders are shipped DDU (Delivery Duty Unpaid) and may therefore be subject to import taxes, custom duties, and other fees levied by the country of destination

    These charges are not included in the bid. They are determined and charged by your local customs agency. They are beyond KERN1’s control. We are not able to estimate these fees as they vary from destination to destination

    Please kindly note that you, as the recipient of the parcel, are responsible for the payment of import duties at the time of delivery. By law, we cannot change the value of the order on commercial invoices. We must adhere to all international import/export laws. Please take these potential extra costs into account when placing the bid.

  • If you decide to refuse your shipment upon arrival, you are responsible for the original shipping charges, any duties, taxes, and/or customs charges that are incurred (on both the original and return shipments), the costs of returning the package, and the processing fee charged by the payment provider of 3.5% of the total order amount. This amount will be subtracted from your refund

  • If you participated, please keep an eye on your email and spam folder in the next 48 hours. The winner of the auction you will receive an e-mail and/or text message by phone on Tuesday the 2nd of September by 1:00 PM CEST to let you know you are the lucky one. You will receive an invoice for the winning amount plus shipping costs, and have to complete the payment within 24 hours after receiving this message.

THIS AUCTION IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU TO ALL WHO PARTICIPATED.