Thursday, April 16, 2015

THE STORY OF LANVIN


Jeanne Lanvin was born in 1867 in Paris, she was the eldest of eleven children. At the age of 13 years, Jeanne  worked with a milliner as a delivery girl hats. The salary she received each month was 25 francs.



Fascinated by the hats, at 16, she learned to make them in a marvellous way. She was offered as apprentice milliner at Felix and, at 18, she lived in a maid's room where she imagined and manufactured the doll hats that she sold directly to stores, her business will be greatly appreciated!
The events happened very quickly. After Felix, Jeanne worked in Barcelona at Cordeau where she have won a lot of money. At that time, the hats were very fashionable, and milliners very popular. Back in Paris, Jeanne rented two attic rooms,
rue du Marche St. Honore, and then moved to 16 rue Boissy d'Anglas to expand and some years later was installed at 22, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore, which be the Heart House of Lanvin.


An extravagantly feathered toque by Jeanne Lanvin, 1914

Hat by Jeanne Lanvin, 1913


 Jeanne Lanvin, 1912
A fashion model wears a hat made of velvet petals, Jeanne Lanvin, 1935
Jeanne Lanvin, 1964

It was at the Longchamp racecourse, Jeanne met her husband Count Emilio di Pietro. They married in 1896 but divorced in 1903. Born of this union, in 1897, a daughter Marguerite (Ririte), and who in the 1920s, would be named Mary White. There was no greater happiness in the life of Jeanne that the birth of this little girl. It is through this child that Jeanne would be transformed into Jeanne Lanvin.

She revealed her talents as a dressmaker by dressing her beloved daughter with pretty dresses decorated with English embroidery and lovely pleated. Each of these dresses was an enchantment. The clients wanted similar clothes to their daughters. After the little girls, Jeanne Lanvin dressed the moms with talent and thus start her career "Grand Couturier".

A woman and child in modelling Belle Epoque era dresses by designer Jeanne Lanvin

In early 1900, Madame Lanvin was very famous, she reached the peak of her fame in the 1920s. In 1925, Jeanne Lanvin had employed over eight hundred workers! At each of her collections were presented three hundred models.


Lanvin's milliners at the end of 1930s
 Jeanne Lanvin, 1951
Advertisement for the House of Lanvin. 1920's, French, Madame Jane Renouardt wearing shoes by Jeanne Lanvin
Jeanne Lanvin, 1935

Lanvin invested a portion of her fortune in bricks and mortar. She bought an entire building near the Invalides. Madame Lanvin confided the decoration of her mansion with two buildings, and villas to Albert Armand Rateau, a very popular artist. She opened "Lanvin Decoration" and decorated shops and theater of Daunou.

In 1925, Jeanne Lanvin created "Lanvin Perfume" at 4 roundabout of the Champs Elysées, Cannes and Touquet. She hired a young "perfume tester" André Fraysse. Her laboratory was located in Nanterre.

In 1924-1925, the Lanvin launched "Niv Nal", "Irise", and then a dozen fragrances such as "Kara-Djenoun" (in memory of a trip to Egypt), "Le Sillon", "Le Chypre", "Comme-ci Comme-ca", "Lajea",  "J'en Raffole", "Ladogaresse", or  "Fleurit L'oranger" (withdrawn from sale in 1940), "Geranium D'Espagne" (withdrawn from sale in 1962), "Apres-Sport",  Mon Peche/ My Sin (withdrawn from sale in 1988). Note that "Niv Nal", "Irise", "Kara-Djenoun", "Le Sillon" and "Apres-Sport" were withdrawn from sale in 1926.

Madame Lanvin implemented the idea of "Arpege" perfume in 1927 for the 30th anniversary of his beloved daughter. Paul Vacha and André Fraysse will be creators. The name of the perfume was a reflection from Marguerite (great enthusiast for music and singing) uttered by testing the perfume: "It looks like an arpeggio." Albert Armand Rateau designed the bottle, the famous black ball decorated with a drawing attributed to the artist Paul Iribe immortalising the love of a mother for her daughter. The fluted cap is gold-plated finish. This fragrance was a huge success.

1907, photo of Jeanne Lanvin and her daughter Marguerite that inspired the Lanvin logo





In 1926, Jeanne Lanvin was cited in the order of Chevalier of the Legion d'Honneur, and in 1938 she received the rosette of Officer of the Legion d'Honneur by Sacha Guitry.

In show business, Jeanne Lanvin dressed few actresses like Yvonne Printemps. She was chosen for the advertising campaign of “Pretexte”. Perfume launched in 1937.

Recent fittings with Yvonne Printemps and Jeanne Lanvin

On 6 July 1946, Jeanne Lanvin died, she was 79. Marguerite took over the management of the company until her death in 1958.

Madame Lanvin, 1945. Photographed by Henri Cartier-Bresson

In 1950, Antonio Castillo was invited by Jeanne Lanvin's daughter to design for her mother's firm in Paris, with hopes of relaunching the firm's name. In 1950 he joined the fashion house of Lanvin, the salon needed someone to maintain its traditions. From 1950-62, the salon was known for elegant clothes, slender lines, long flowing skirts in rich fabrics, and elaborate embroideries. In 1962, Castillo left Lanvin and in 1964 opened his own house in Paris. He continued to create elegant clothes and elaborate costumes for private clients, the theatre and the moves.


Lanvin - CastIllo, 1956
Lanvin - CastIllo, 1951
 Lanvin-Castillo, 1957
Lanvin-Castillo, 1951
 Lanvin-Castillo, 1958
 Lanvin-Castillo, 1958
 Lanvin-Castillo, 1958
 Lanvin-Castillo, 1960

Lanvin-Castillo, L'Officeil 1956
Lanvin-Castillo, 1957
 Lanvin-Castillo, 1956
In 1990, the company "LANVIN" was bought by the Group L'Oreal and Louis Vuitton family will decide in 1993 to revive and re-orchestrate the perfume of "Arpege".

The head office is located always, as to its origin, 15 to 22 Faubourg Saint-Honore in Paris.

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