Jeanne Lanvin
Biography:
1867-1946
Madame Jeanne Lanvin's active fashion career spanned 50 years from the 1890's up to the New Look just after World War II. Though Lanvin is the world’s oldest fashion house, rivaling that of Chanel and Dior, she remains one of the greatest, yet least known designers of the 20th century.
She first trained as a dressmaker at a house called Talbot and then as a milliner.
In 1890 she opened a millinery shop in the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore. While making hats, she also made dresses for a younger sister and her daughter. Lanvin's clothes came to the attention of other mothers with daughters, who asked her to make dresses for them, so in 1909 Jeanne began making dresses for sale and her reputation grew. Her signature style made no distinction between women’s and children’s wear, the youthfulness of both being an important aspect of 20th century fashion.
In 1913 Lanvin created her famous "robes de style" based on 18th century designs. These small waisted, full skirted dresses remained popular for many years and were fore-runners of the New Look which Dior brought out just after World War II.
In 1914 influenced by orientalism, she turned to exotic evening wear in Eastern-style velvets and satins. During the 20's Lanvin made a simple Chemise dress which later became the basic outline for the twenties. In 1922 a Breton suit appeared in the Lanvin collection.
Jeanne Lanvin dressed film actresses like Mary Pickford, Marlene Dietrich and Yvonne Printemps in the 20's and 30's. She also had clients like the Queens of Italy and Roumania, and English princesses.
Jeanne Lanvin's Style
Her work was easily recognizable by her skilful use of embroidery, and her fine craftsmanship. She used a particular shade of blue so often, that it came to be called "Lanvin Blue".
She set the mood with narrow empire-waisted dresses and long trailing sleeves, a forerunner for Dior’s New Look in 1947. The world’s oldest fashion house. Rivaled Chanel. One of the greatest and least known designers of the 20th century. In 1926 a menswear division was opened by Lanvin, and so she became the first couturier to dress whole families. Jeanne Lanvin's exquisitely flattering couture rivalled Coco Chanel and anticipated Dior, yet she herself was middle-aged and far from glamorous.
Designs:
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