Lanvin (clothing)
Encyclopedia
Lanvin is a high fashion house founded by Jeanne Lanvin
.
, Paris
. 1909, Lanvin joined the Syndicat de la Couture, which marked her formal status as a couturière
.
From 1923, the Lanvin empire included a dye factory in Nanterre
. 1920s, Lanvin opened shops devoted to home decor, menswear, furs and lingerie, but her most significant expansion was the creation of Lanvin Parfums SA in 1924 and the introduction of her signature fragrance
Arpège
in 1927, inspired by the sound of her daughter's practising her scales on the piano
. A later perfume, "My Sin," is widely considered one of the most unique fragrances, an animalic-aldehyde based on heliotrope
.
One of the most influential designers of the 1920s and '30s, Jeanne Lanvin's skilful use of intricate trimmings, virtuoso embroideries and beaded decorations in clear, light, floral colors became a Lanvin trademark.
When Lanvin died in 1946, ownership of the firm was ceded to the designer's daughter, who 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. (See Directors and Officers Since Jeanne Lanvin below.)
Since Britain's Midland Bank
bought a stake in the company from the family in March 1989, the company has shuttled from here and there. The bank brought in 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
family. From Orcofi, 50% of the House of Lanvin was acquired by L'Oréal
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, the oldest fashion house still in operation, was taken private again by investor group Harmonie S.A., headed by Mrs. Shaw-Lan Wang
, a Taiwanese media magnate. And, October 2001, Alber Elbaz
was appointed the Lanvin artistic director for all activities, including interiors, and he has conducted his responsibilities in a highly personal, hands-on manner. 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, 2005.)
Lanvin received international as well as national press in the United States in May 2009 when Michelle Obama
was photographed wearing a pair of Lanvin sneakers of suede
, with grosgrain
ribbon laces and metallic pink toe caps while volunteering at a Washington, D.C. food bank
. The sneakers were reported to have cost $540.
On December 4, 2009, Lanvin opened their first US boutique in Bal Harbour, Florida.
that Lanvin would be their guest designer collaboration for the Winter 2010 collection. The collection would be available to view beginning November 4, 2010 at HM.com. The collection would then be available to buy in 200 stores worldwide, on November 20, with a first look sale the day before exclusively at the H&M store in Las Vegas.
, Ankara
, Athens
, Bal Harbour, Beirut
, Beverly Hills, Bologna
, Casablanca
, Dalian
, Doha
, Dubai
, Ekaterinburg, Geneva
, Hong Kong
, Jakarta
, Jeddah
, Kaohsiung
, Kuala Lumpur
, Las Vegas, London
, Manama
, Marbella
, Milan
, Moscow
, Monte Carlo
, New York City
, Paris
, Rome
, Samara
, Saint Tropez, Salmiya
, Shanghai
, Singapore
, Taipei
, Tokyo
and Toronto
.
The Las Vegas (men's and women's) and Bal Harbour (women's only) boutiques were the only ones in the United States
. In July 2010, Lanvin opened a boutique on New York City's Madison Avenue.
Lanvin's biggest wholesale customer in the United States is Barneys New York
.
A new Lanvin boutique opened in New Delhi
in April 2011.
A new Lanvin boutique is set to open in Beverly Hills at Two Rodeo Drive and is over 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) with an underground VIP entrance.
Jeanne Lanvin
Jeanne-Marie Lanvin was a French fashion designer and the founder of the Lanvin fashion house.One of the most influential designers of the 1920s and '30s, Jeanne Lanvin's skillful use of intricate trimmings, virtuoso embroideries and beaded decorations in clear, light, floral colors became a...
.
History
Lanvin made such beautiful clothes for her daughter that they 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-HonoréRue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
The rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré is a street in Paris, France. Although relatively narrow and nondescript , it is cited as being one of the most fashionable streets in the world, thanks to the presence of virtually every major global fashion house...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. 1909, Lanvin joined the Syndicat de la Couture, which marked her formal status as a couturière
Couturier
A couturier is an establishment or person involved in the clothing fashion industry who makes original garments to order for private clients. A couturier may make what is known as haute couture. Such a person usually hires patternmakers and machinists for garment production, and is either employed...
.
From 1923, the Lanvin empire included a dye factory in Nanterre
Nanterre
Nanterre is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located west of the center of Paris.Nanterre is the capital of the Hauts-de-Seine department as well as the seat of the Arrondissement of Nanterre....
. 1920s, Lanvin opened shops devoted to home decor, menswear, furs and lingerie, but her most significant expansion was the creation of Lanvin Parfums SA in 1924 and the introduction of her signature fragrance
Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and/or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent"...
Arpège
Arpège
Arpège is a 1927 perfume by Lanvin. Along with Chanel's Chanel No. 5 and Patou's Joy, it is one of the three best known perfumes in the world.-Name:...
in 1927, inspired by the sound of her daughter's practising her scales on the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. A later perfume, "My Sin," is widely considered one of the most unique fragrances, an animalic-aldehyde based on heliotrope
Heliotrope
Heliotrope may refer to:Natural science* Heliotropium, a genus of flowering plants* A plant that exhibits heliotropism, diurnal motion in response to the sun's movement* Heliotrope Media and entertainment...
.
One of the most influential designers of the 1920s and '30s, Jeanne Lanvin's skilful use of intricate trimmings, virtuoso embroideries and beaded decorations in clear, light, floral colors became a Lanvin trademark.
When Lanvin died in 1946, ownership of the firm was ceded to the designer's daughter, who 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. (See Directors and Officers Since Jeanne Lanvin below.)
Since Britain's Midland Bank
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...
bought a stake in the company from the family in March 1989, the company has shuttled from here and there. The bank brought in 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
Louis Vuitton Malletier – commonly referred to as Louis Vuitton , or shortened to LV – is a French fashion house founded in 1854 by Louis Vuitton. The label is well known for its LV monogram, which is featured on most products, ranging from luxury trunks and leather goods to ready-to-wear, shoes,...
family. From Orcofi, 50% of the House of Lanvin was acquired by L'Oréal
L'Oréal
The L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
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, the oldest fashion house still in operation, was taken private again by investor group Harmonie S.A., headed by Mrs. Shaw-Lan Wang
Shaw-Lan Wang
Shaw-Lan Wang is a Taiwanese businesswoman who serves as the publisher of the United Daily News and the publishing-ceased Min Sheng Bao.In 2001, Wang bought Lanvin, the oldest fashion house still in operation, from L'Oréal.- Sources :...
, a Taiwanese media magnate. And, October 2001, Alber Elbaz
Alber Elbaz
-Biography:Alberto Elbaz was born in Casablanca, Morocco. He immigrated to Israel with his family at the age of ten and grew up in Holon. After serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, he studied at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan...
was appointed the Lanvin artistic director for all activities, including interiors, and he has conducted his responsibilities in a highly personal, hands-on manner. In 2006, he introduced new packaging for the fashion house, featuring a forget-me-not
Forget-me-not
Myosotis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Boraginaceae that are commonly called Forget-me-nots. Its common name was calqued from the French, "ne m'oubliez pas" and first used in English in c. 1532. Similar names and variations are found in many languages.-Description:There are...
flower color, Lanvin's favorite shade which she purportedly saw in a Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico
Fra Angelico , born Guido di Pietro, was an Early Italian Renaissance painter described by Vasari in his Lives of the Artists as having "a rare and perfect talent"...
fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
(Suzy Menkes, 2005.)
Lanvin received international as well as national press in the United States in May 2009 when Michelle Obama
Michelle Obama
Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama is the wife of the 44th and incumbent President of the United States, Barack Obama, and is the first African-American First Lady of the United States...
was photographed wearing a pair of Lanvin sneakers of suede
Suede
Suede is a type of leather with a napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts, purses, furniture and other items. The term comes from the French "gants de Suède", which literally means "gloves of Sweden"....
, with grosgrain
Grosgrain
Grosgrain , also gros-grain and, rarely, gros grain, is a type of fabric characterized by its ribbed appearance. In grosgrain, the weft is heavier than the warp, creating prominent transverse ribs. It is called a "corded" fabric since the weft resembles a fine cord. Grosgrain is a plain weave...
ribbon laces and metallic pink toe caps while volunteering at a Washington, D.C. food bank
Food bank
A food bank or foodbank is a non-profit, charitable organization that distributes mostly donated food to a wide variety of agencies that in turn feed the hungry. The largest sources of food are for-profit growers, manufacturers, distributors and retailers who in the normal course of business have...
. The sneakers were reported to have cost $540.
On December 4, 2009, Lanvin opened their first US boutique in Bal Harbour, Florida.
Lanvin For H&M
On September 2, 2010, it was announced by H&MH&M
H & M Hennes & Mauritz AB is a Swedish retail-clothing company, known for its fast-fashion clothing offerings for women, men, teenagers and children....
that Lanvin would be their guest designer collaboration for the Winter 2010 collection. The collection would be available to view beginning November 4, 2010 at HM.com. The collection would then be available to buy in 200 stores worldwide, on November 20, with a first look sale the day before exclusively at the H&M store in Las Vegas.
Retail Presence
Lanvin Boutiques are located in AmmanAmman
Amman is the capital of Jordan. It is the country's political, cultural and commercial centre and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world. The Greater Amman area has a population of 2,842,629 as of 2010. The population of Amman is expected to jump from 2.8 million to almost...
, Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Bal Harbour, Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Beverly Hills, Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
, Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Dalian
Dalian
Dalian is a major city and seaport in the south of Liaoning province, Northeast China. It faces Shandong to the south, the Yellow Sea to the east and the Bohai Sea to the west and south. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, Dalian is the southernmost city of Northeast China and China's...
, Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, Ekaterinburg, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...
, Jeddah
Jeddah
Jeddah, Jiddah, Jidda, or Jedda is a city located on the coast of the Red Sea and is the major urban center of western Saudi Arabia. It is the largest city in Makkah Province, the largest sea port on the Red Sea, and the second largest city in Saudi Arabia after the capital city, Riyadh. The...
, Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung
Kaohsiung is a city located in southwestern Taiwan, facing the Taiwan Strait on the west. Kaohsiung, officially named Kaohsiung City, is divided into thirty-eight districts. The city is one of five special municipalities of the Republic of China...
, Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
, Las Vegas, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Manama
Manama
Manama is the capital and largest city of Bahrain, with an approximate population of 155,000 people.Long an important trading center in the Persian Gulf, Manama is home to a very diverse population...
, Marbella
Marbella
Marbella is a town in Andalusia, Spain. It is situated on the Mediterranean Sea, in the province of Málaga, beneath the La Concha mountain. In 2000 the city had 98,823 inhabitants, in 2004, 116,234, in 2010 approximately 135,000....
, Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Samara
Samara, Russia
Samara , is the sixth largest city in Russia. It is situated in the southeastern part of European Russia at the confluence of the Volga and Samara Rivers. Samara is the administrative center of Samara Oblast. Population: . The metropolitan area of Samara-Tolyatti-Syzran within Samara Oblast...
, Saint Tropez, Salmiya
Salmiya
Salmiya is a district of the Hawalli Governorate in the State of Kuwait.Salmiya is located southeast of Kuwait City and is one of the largest areas in Kuwait consisting of both commercial and residential areas...
, Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
, Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
.
The Las Vegas (men's and women's) and Bal Harbour (women's only) boutiques were the only ones in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In July 2010, Lanvin opened a boutique on New York City's Madison Avenue.
Lanvin's biggest wholesale customer in the United States is Barneys New York
Barneys New York
Barneys New York is a chain of luxury department stores headquartered in New York City. The chain owns large stores in New York City, Beverly Hills, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco, Dallas, Las Vegas, and Scottsdale, and smaller stores in other locations across the United States.Brands sold include...
.
A new Lanvin boutique opened in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
in April 2011.
A new Lanvin boutique is set to open in Beverly Hills at Two Rodeo Drive and is over 6000 square feet (557.4 m²) with an underground VIP entrance.
Directors and Officers Since Jeanne Lanvin
- 1946–1950, Lanvin's daughter Marie-Blanche de Polignac, owner and director
- 1942–50, 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 Since Jeanne Lanvin
- 1946–1958, Marie-Blanche de Polignac, director general and designer
- 1950–1963, Castillo (b. Antonio Canovas del Castillo del Rey, 1908– d. 1984), women's collections
- 1960–1980, Bernard Devaux, hats, scarves, haute couture; women's "Diffusions" line 1963–1980,
- 1964–1984, Jules-François Crahay (Liège, 1917–1988), haute couture collections and "Boutique de Luxe"
- 1972, Christian Benais, men's ready-to-wear 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 MontanaClaude MontanaClaude Montana is a French fashion designer. His company, The House of Montana, founded in 1979, went bankrupt in 1997.Born in Paris in 1949 to a Catalonian father and German mother, Montana began his career by designing papier-mâché jewelry covered with rhinestones...
, 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
- From 2002, Alber ElbazAlber Elbaz-Biography:Alberto Elbaz was born in Casablanca, Morocco. He immigrated to Israel with his family at the age of ten and grew up in Holon. After serving in the Israeli Defense Forces, he studied at the Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan...
, artistic director of all creative activities - From 2003, Martin Krutzki, designer of men's ready-to-wear
- 2005–present, Lucas Ossendrijver, Designer of men's ready-to-wear