Exciting vintage find // discovering Emmanuelle Khanh

My sister said just the other evening, "Everyone has their own brand of crazy." Mine would have to be spending hours combing through racks of secondhand clothing, looking for treasure. 

And once in a while, you do find gold—for example, this Emmanuelle Khanh blouse I found over the weekend. It was one of the last things I picked up that day. My fingertips felt the shoulder pads and the beading, and I thought, "This is interesting." 

I was unfamiliar with the label Emmanuelle Khanh—and this is another reason why I love what I do—I'm learning so much! I don't have a fashion background but I did study history, literature and design, which means I am relentless in my research, passionate about storytelling, and have an eye for beautiful lines. 

So I took the blouse home, and first of all just treated myself to an admiration session. There are so many lovely details in this blouse: pleating, beading, embroidery....watch the video below for all the details. Then I fired up my laptop to learn about Emmanuelle Khanh. If you, like me, are discovering her for the first time, I've included a short paragraph about her after the video.

This beauty is one of those classic pieces that will always look new, and because of its neutral colour, it has endless styling possibilities. Click here for photos and measurements.

Emmanuelle Khanh (1937-2017) got her start in fashion as a model at the couture houses of Givenchy and Balenciaga. In 1962 she joined with fellow model Christiane Baily to form the Emma Christie label. Often referred to as the French Mary Quant, she was known for her modern and youthful designs, particularly for her distinctive outsize eyewear, and was considered one of the leading young designers of the 1960s New Wave movement in France. In 1971 she founded her own company, Emmanuelle Khanh Paris; opened the first boutiques in her own name in 1977; and formed Emmanuelle Khanh International in 1987. The company closed in the late 1990s. You can read more about her and view some photos in this New York Times article published in 2017 at the time of her death.