Lanvin () is a French
luxury
Luxury may refer to:
* Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises
*Luxury tax, tax on products not considered essential, such as expensive cars
**Luxury tax (sports), surcharge pu ...
fashion
Fashion is a form of self-expression and autonomy at a particular period and place and in a specific context, of clothing, footwear, lifestyle, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, and body posture. The term implies a look defined by the fashion in ...
house based in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. Founded in 1889 by
Jeanne Lanvin
Jeanne-Marie Lanvin (; 1 January 1867 – 6 July 1946) was a French haute couture fashion designer. She founded the Lanvin fashion house and the beauty and perfume company Lanvin Parfums.
Early life
Jeanne Lanvin was born in Paris on 1 Januar ...
, it is the oldest French fashion house still in operation. Since 2018, it has been a subsidiary of
Shanghai
Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...
-based Lanvin Group. Bruno Sialelli, a 31-year-old French designer, was named Creative Director of Lanvin in January 2019.
History
![Nov 1915 Paris Lanvin](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/89/Nov_1915_Paris_Lanvin.jpg)
Lanvin made clothes for her daughter, Marie-Blanche de Polignac, which began to attract the attention of a number of wealthy people, who requested copies for their own children. Soon, Lanvin was
making dresses for their mothers,
and some of the most famous names in Europe were included in the clientele of her new boutique on the
rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
The Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré () is a street located in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France. Relatively narrow and nondescript, especially in comparison to the nearby Avenue des Champs-Élysées, it is cited as being one of the most luxu ...
,
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. In 1909, Lanvin joined the Syndicat de la Couture, which marked her formal status as a
couturière. The Lanvin logo was inspired by a photograph taken for Jeanne Lanvin as she attended a ball with her daughter wearing matching outfits in 1907.
From 1923, the Lanvin empire included a dye factory in
Nanterre
Nanterre (, ) is the prefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department in the western suburbs of Paris. It is located some northwest of the centre of Paris. In 2018, the commune had a population of 96,807.
The eastern part of Nanterre, bordering t ...
. In the 1920s, Lanvin opened shops devoted to home decor, menswear, furs and
lingerie
Lingerie (, , ) is a category of primarily women's clothing including undergarments (mainly brassieres), sleepwear, and lightweight robes. The choice of the word is often motivated by an intention to imply that the garments are alluring, fashio ...
, but her most significant expansion was the creation of Lanvin Parfums SA in 1924. "My Sin", an animalic-aldehyde based on
heliotrope, was introduced in 1925, and is widely considered a unique fragrance. It would be followed by her signature
fragrance
An aroma compound, also known as an odorant, aroma, fragrance or flavoring, is a chemical compound that has a smell or odor. For an individual chemical or class of chemical compounds to impart a smell or fragrance, it must be sufficiently vol ...
,
Arpège
Arpège () is a 1927 perfume by Lanvin. It is considered to be one of the world's classic scents.
History
The fragrance has been referred to as the "fragrance of 1000 flowers" and its official name is a derivation of the musical term ''arpeggio' ...
, in 1927, said to have been inspired by the sound of her daughter's practising her scales on the
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
.
After Jeanne Lanvin
When Lanvin died in 1946, ownership of the firm was ceded to her daughter Marguerite, who had shared management of the firm from 1942 with a cousin and then a fashion-industry expert. Because Marie-Blanche de Polignac was childless when she died in 1958, the ownership of the House of Lanvin went to a cousin, Yves Lanvin.
From mid-1960s through to the 1996 takeover by
L'Oreal, Lanvin was run by Bernard Lanvin.
The export department was in the original factory in Nanterre where all the perfumes were made and bottled. The administrative Head Office was in Paris.
In 1979, Lanvin bought its independence from Squibb USA and a major PR promotional tour was arranged by Paris in the United States in the same year.
Midland Bank
Midland Bank Plc was one of the Big Four banking groups in the United Kingdom for most of the 20th century. It is now part of HSBC. The bank was founded as the Birmingham and Midland Bank in Union Street, Birmingham, England in August 1836. It ...
bought a stake in the company from the family in March 1989, and installed Léon Bressler to revamp the firm's faded image. However, in February 1990, Midland backed out and sold Lanvin to Orcofi, a French holding company led by the
Vuitton
Louis Vuitton Malletier, commonly known as Louis Vuitton (, ), is a French high-end luxury fashion house and company founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label's LV monogram appears on most of its products, ranging from luxury bags and leather ...
family. From Orcofi, 50% of the House of Lanvin was acquired by
L'Oréal
L'Oréal S.A. () is a French personal care company headquartered in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine with a registered office in Paris. It is the world's largest cosmetics company and has developed activities in the field concentrating on hair color, sk ...
in 1994, 66% in 1995 and 100% in 1996. Under L'Oréal's diverse umbrella, an array of CEOs who circulate within the French fashion industry have directed the company.
In August 2001, Lanvin
was taken private again by investor group Harmonie S.A., headed by
Shaw-Lan Wang
Wang Shaw-lan (; born 1941) is a Taiwanese businesswoman who serves as the publisher of the United Daily News and the publishing-ceased Min Sheng Bao in Taiwan. She studied at Shih Hsin University, graduating in 1964.
She was born in Chongqing b ...
, a Taiwanese media magnate.
In 2005,
Joix Corporatic was the Lanvin
ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...
licence holder in Japan with retail value of €50 million.
On 4 December 2009, Lanvin opened their first US boutique in
Bal Harbour
Bal Harbour is a village in Miami-Dade County, Florida. The population was 3,093 at the 2020 US Census.
History
Since the 1920s, the Detroit-based Miami Beach Heights Corporation—headed by industrialists Robert C. Graham, Walter O. Briggs ...
, Florida.
In 2011, Lanvin sales reached €203 million, not counting an estimated €4.5 million in revenues from licences.
On 20 November 2013, Lanvin became the official tailor of
Arsenal FC
Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (incl ...
.
On 28 October 2015, Lanvin announced that Elbaz was no longer at the company, due to differences of opinion with the shareholders. He was replaced by Bouchra Jarrar in March 2016. Jarrar left the following year and was succeeded by Olivier Lapidus, who departed on 23 March 2018, after only two seasons. Lapidus' successor was not named upon his exit.
In February 2018, Shanghai-based conglomerate
Fosun International
Fosun International Limited is a Chinese multinational conglomerate holding company. Founded in 1992 by Guo Guangchang and four others, the company is headquartered in Shanghai and was incorporated in Hong Kong in 2004. Its Co-CEOs are Chen Q ...
paid €120m to become the majority stakeholder in Lanvin. In March 2020, Jean-Philippe Hecquet stepped down from his role as CEO after 18 months, while Joann Cheng, chairman of Lanvin's parent company and head of the board of directors of Lanvin, became interim CEO. Fosun Fashion Group was renamed Lanvin Group in October 2021 as the company pursues acquisitions to build a global portfolio of luxury brands.
Creative directors since 2001
Alber Elbaz
In October 2001,
Alber Elbaz was appointed the Lanvin artistic director for all activities, including interiors. In 2006, he introduced new packaging for the fashion house, featuring a forget-me-not flower color, Lanvin's favorite shade which she purportedly saw in a Fra Angelico fresco (
Suzy Menkes
Suzy Peta Menkes (born 24 December 1943) is a British journalist and fashion critic. Formerly the fashion editor for the International Herald Tribune, Menkes also served as editor, Vogue International, for 25 international editions of ''Vogue'' ...
, 2005.).
On 2 September 2010, it was announced by
H&M that Lanvin would be their guest designer collaboration for the Winter 2010 collection.
The collection would be available to view beginning 4 November 2010 at HM.com. The collection would then be available to buy in 200 stores worldwide, on 20 November, with a first look sale the day before exclusively at the H&M store in Las Vegas.
[Drop whatever you are doing, Lanvin is coming to L.A. - The Daily Truffle - 8 November 2010](_blank)
The main face of the collection video was supermodel
Natasha Poly
Natalia Sergeevna Polevshchikova (russian: Наталья Серге́евна Полевщикова; born 12 July 1985), known professionally as Natasha Poly, is a Russian supermodel. Since 2004, Poly has appeared in prominent high-fashion ad ...
.
Lucas Ossendrijver
![Lucas Ossendrijver](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Lucas_Ossendrijver.jpg)
Lucas Ossendrijver started with Kenzo’s menswear in 1997. In 2000, he moved to Munich where fashion designer Kostas Murkudis gave him free rein over the men’s line. Back in Paris, he then spent four years with Hedi Slimane at Dior Homme: his luxury fashion debut.
In 2006, Lucas Ossendrijver was appointed the head of the men's line. The 2006 men's ready-to-wear collection was inspired by a
Jean-Luc Godard
Jean-Luc Godard ( , ; ; 3 December 193013 September 2022) was a French-Swiss film director, screenwriter, and film critic. He rose to prominence as a pioneer of the French New Wave film movement of the 1960s, alongside such filmmakers as Fran ...
film. He launched the first LANVIN urban sneakers, now with their patent leather toe caps, while presenting his AW 2006 collections; the shoes later became available in women’s collections.
While enjoying a revitalized reputation in luxury, Lanvin received mainstream press in the United States in May 2009 when
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...
was photographed wearing a popular line of Lanvin's sneakers made of
suede
Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was fir ...
with
grosgrain
Grosgrain ( , also sometimes ) is a type of fabric or ribbon defined by the fact that its weft is heavier than its warp, creating prominent transverse ribs. Grosgrain is a plain weave corded fabric, with heavier cords than poplin but lighter th ...
ribbon laces and metallic pink toe caps while volunteering at a Washington, D.C.
food bank
A food bank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes food to those who have difficulty purchasing enough to avoid hunger, usually through intermediaries like food pantries and soup kitchens. Some food banks distribute food direc ...
. The
sneaker shoes were reportedly retailed at $540.
Bouchra Jarrar
Bouchra Jarrar
Bouchra Jarrar (born 14 November 1970 in Cannes) is a French people, French haute couture fashion designer.
Early life and education
Born to Moroccan parents in Cannes, Jarrar entered Paris' École Duperré where she graduated in 1994.
Career
Ja ...
was appointed as Creative Director by Lanvin in March 2016.
She is a Permanent Member of the French Chambre Syndicale de la Couture since 2014, she was a Guest Member as of January 2010. She worked as Nicolas Ghesquière’s studio director at Balenciaga for 10 years. In 2006, she moved on to French couture house Christian Lacroix — working alongside the designer as director of haute couture until the company closed in 2009. She founded her own house in 2010 and earned the official Haute Couture appellation in 2013.
In 2017, and with the preparation of only two ready-to-wear collections, Jarar stepped down from her position. Upon her departure, Lanvin released the following statement: "Lanvin and Bouchra Jarrar have mutually decided to put an end to their collaboration".
Bruno Sialelli
The 31-year-old French designer, Bruno Sialelli, was named the new creative director of Lanvin in January 2019. Lanvin revealed in a statement that Sialelli's appointment marks a "pivotal new direction". In less than 5 years, Lanvin has had 5 creative directors, including Olivier Lapidus, who left in 2018. Sialelli had worked with
Jonathan Anderson at Spanish brand
Loewe prior to the appointment and was presumed to be facing "great pressure to turn things around for the maison."
Directors
* 1946–1950, Lanvin's daughter Marie-Blanche de Polignac, owner and director
* 1942–1950, Marie-Blanche's cousin Jean Gaumont-Lanvin (Colombes, 1908–Versailles, 1988), director general
* 1950–1955, Daniel Gorin (Paris, 1891–Paris, 1972), director general
* 1959, Marie-Blanche's cousin Yves Lanvin, owner; Madame Yves Lanvin, president.
* 1989–1990, Léon Bressler, chairperson
* 1990–1993, Michel Pietrini, chairperson
* 1993–1995, Loïc Armand, chairperson
* 1995–2001, Gérald Asaria, chairperson
* 2001–2004, Jacques Lévy, director general
Designers
* 1946–1958: Marie-Blanche de Polignac, director general and designer
* 1950–1963:
Antonio del Castillo
Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra (10 July 1616 – 2 February 1668) was a Spanish Baroque painter, sculptor, and poet.
Biography
Antonio del Castillo y Saavedra was born at Córdoba, Spain.
He trained in painting under his father Agustín ...
, women's collections
* 1960–1980: Bernard Devaux, hats, scarves, haute couture; women's "Diffusions" line 1963–1980,
* 1964–1984:
Jules-François Crahay
Jules-François Crahay (1917–1988) was a Belgian-born French fashion designer who worked for the houses of Nina Ricci (1952–1963) and Lanvin as head designer (1963–1983). He won the Neiman Marcus Fashion Award in 1962.
Early life
Crahay ...
(Liège, 1917–1988),
haute couture
''Haute couture'' (; ; French for 'high sewing', 'high dressmaking') is the creation of exclusive custom-fitted high-end fashion design that is constructed by hand from start-to-finish. Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, Paris became th ...
collections and "Boutique de Luxe"
* 1972: Christian Benais, men's
ready-to-wear
Ready-to-wear (or ''prêt-à-porter''; abbreviated RTW; "off-the-rack" or "off-the-peg" in casual use) is the term for ready-made garments, sold in finished condition in standardized sizes, as distinct from made-to-measure or bespoke clothing ...
collection
* 1976–1991: Patrick Lavoix, men's ready-to-wear collections
* 1981–1989: Maryll Lanvin, ready-to-wear, first haute couture in 1985 and women's "Boutique" collections
* 1989–1990: Robert Nelissen, women's ready-to-wear collections
* 1990–1992:
Claude Montana
Claude Montana (29 June 1947 in Paris) is a French fashion designer. His company, The House of Montana, founded in 1979, went bankrupt in 1997.
Early life and Design career
Born in Paris in 1947 to a Catalan father and a German mother, Montana be ...
, five haute-couture collections
* 1990–1992: Eric Bergère, women's ready-to-wear collections
* 1992–2001: Dominique Morlotti, women's and men's ready-to-wear collections
* 1996–1998: Ocimar Versolato, women's ready-to-wear collections
* 1998–2002: Cristina Ortiz, women's ready-to-wear collections
* 2002–2015:
Alber Elbaz, artistic director of all creative activities
* 2003–2006: Martin Krutzki, designer of men's ready-to-wear
* 2006–2018: Lucas Ossendrijver, men's collections
* 2016–2017:
Bouchra Jarrar
Bouchra Jarrar (born 14 November 1970 in Cannes) is a French people, French haute couture fashion designer.
Early life and education
Born to Moroccan parents in Cannes, Jarrar entered Paris' École Duperré where she graduated in 1994.
Career
Ja ...
, women's collections
* 2017–2018: Olivier Lapidus, women's collections
* 2018–2019: Estrella Archs, women's collections
* 2019–Present: Bruno Sialelli, women's and men's collections
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lanvin (Clothing)
Bags (fashion)
Clothing brands of France
Fashion accessory brands
High fashion brands
Luxury brands
Shoe companies of France
Manufacturing companies based in Paris