Style History: Jeanne Lanvin

Depending on what your fashion history interests are, you gravitate towards different periods and different clothing. However, if you are at all interested in modern fashion history, Jeanne Lanvin is a name that you should know. The oldest French fashion house* still in operation, Lanvin was founded by an incredibly talented and determined woman, and we still enjoy Lanvin today. However, it is the house’s storied past that makes it so notable, and its longevity. With the twentieth century dominated by male designers, it is fascinating that a female designer holds this title. This is the history of Lanvin, and the impressive woman behind it.

*I have to start this post by clarifying the title of oldest French fashion house still in operation. Both Hermès (1837) and Louis Vuitton (1854) opened their doors before, but Hermès began making saddles and equestrian supplies, while Vuitton focused on luggage and packing. So, while they are both older, they did not focus on fashion and accessories until much later.

Who was Jeanne Lanvin the Designer? 

In terms of female designers, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel stay at the forefront of our minds. They are still quite “real” figures to us, and are still being featured in fiction and on screen. However, Jeanne Lanvin is from the previous generation, and she paved the way for later designers. Lanvin was born in Paris on 1 January 1867, the oldest of eleven children of Sophie Deshayes and Constantin Lanvin. Like many other young adults, she had to learn a trade to support herself. And that trade was millinery.

At the age of 16 she became a milliner’s apprentice, and at the age of 22 in 1889 she opened her own millinery shop on the rou Bloissy d’Anglas . Given the elaborate fashions of the nineteenth century and the large demand for fashionable millinery, Lanvin was a popular choice for aristocrats and upper class women. And just four years later, she was able to secure a shop on the prestigious rou de Faubourg-Saint Honoré.  She was instantly embraced as a clothing designer and customers knew to go to “Lanvin Modes”. In 1909, she joined the Syndicat de la Couture, meaning that she could officially use the title of couturière.

Who was Jeanne Lanvin the person? 

Lanvin was a dedicated designer, but she was also a dedicate mother. She married the Italian Count Emilio di Pietro in 1895, and gave birth to their daughter in 1897. Marguerite was the light of her life, and as soon as she was born, Lanvin embraced motherhood. She created lavish and sumptuous dresses and outfits for the young Marguerite, which were noticed by friends and customers. This led to Lanvin opening a children’s department in 1908, and she would often creating matching fashionable ensembles for mothers and daughters. Lanvin divorced the Count in 1903, and married a Frenchman, Xavier Melet, in 1907. Lanvin and her daughter remained close throughout her life, and Marguerite became the director of the Lanvin house upon her death in 1946. (Interestingly, it is a similar bond to Elsa Schiaparelli and her daughter, Gogo.) She was not a particularly outgoing person, and avoided society events, unlike many other designers. She preferred to allow her clothing and designs to take centre stage, and although it seems rather foreign to us now in the age of insta-famous designers, it was clearly quite successful her and the house of Lanvin.

Lanvin: Not Just Fashion

The history of Lanvin is not just clothing and millinery, though. Lanvin launched her own dye factory in 1923. She was known for her love of vibrant colours, and intense blues are prominent in Lanvin collections to this day. By opening her own dye factory, she was able to focus even more on creating her own colours and dyes. In addition to her women’s and children’s collections and the dye factory, Lanvin also opened a men’s department and a fur department, as well as lingerie and home decor departments. She also opened her own perfume division in 1924. In 1927, she launched her signature fragrance, Arpège, named in honour of her daughter. Marguerite was a talented operatic singer, and Lanvin would listen to her practice her scales on the piano, aka arpeggio.

Lanvin: The 1920s and 1930s

Lanvin’s fashion house flourished in the Interwar Period. Her design style suited the Bright Young Things and modern women embracing simpler shapes. Lanvin’s designs were known for bright and light colours, florals, and detailed beading and embroidery. She also pushed for the house to become an international favourite, rather than simply in demand in France. In 1925, Lanvin was vice-president of the Pavilion of Elegance at the International Exhibition of Decorative Arts in Paris. She promoted her designs as the epitome of French couture and tradition. Lanvin also held showings on the SS Normandie on its maiden voyage to New York in 1935. The luxury liner was the height of French luxury and taste, and the house received quite a bit of media attention because of it. And notably, in 1945 when Berlin was being pushed as the new home of haute couture, Lanvin played a large part in rallying French designers to keep it in Paris.

The House of Lanvin: Beyond Jeanne Lanvin

Lanvin typically has multiple designers at once, working on haute couture, men’s collections, women’s ready-to-wear, etc. Lanvin was partially acquired by L’Oreal in 1994, and entirely by 1996. It was then taken private again in 2001. Alber Elbaz was artistic director of all creative activities from 2002 to 2015, but other than that, there are several different stylist voices. Although it does not have the same unified presentation that some of the other larger fashion houses do, Lanvin is still popular and still operating. (Many houses, like Schiaparelli, cannot claim continuous operations.)

History of Lanvin: More Info 

Unfortunately, there has not been a ton of scholarship done on Lanvin the designer or the house, but I’m hoping that in the years to come, we see more.

Lanvin has a fantastic timeline on their website with the history of Jeanne Lanvin herself and the house, I would recommend spending a few moments reading through it!

Barillé, Elisabeth (1997). Lanvin, Paris: Assouline. This book is on my to-find/ to-read list, and I’m hoping I can track down a copy in the new year.

Dressed: A History of Fashion podcast, “A History of Designer Logos” episode (one of four brands featured)

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Looking for more style history? Check out my histories of Dior, Balenciaga, Schiaparelli, and YSL!

Is the history of Lanvin new to you? Or is Lanvin one of your favourite designers? 

Cheers,
The Historian
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