Designer of the Week: Jeanne Lanvin

The oldest Parisian fashion house (1867 – 1946) is a bit of a mystery so, let’s unravel it…

• Happy New Years!  Jeanne Lanvin was born on January 1, 1867
• Jeanne Lanvin was the mother of one child, Marguerite who was credited as her inspiration
• Lanvin trained at the house of Talbot as a dressmaker
• The house logo, two women in gowns, are in fact Jeanne and her daughter going to a ball.  It became the official house logo in 1954
• Jeanne became well known for her mother-daughter outfits…and thus was born into the fashion industry
• In 1913, Lanvin created the “robes de style” which was characterized by small waited, full skirts that would act as the pre-cursor to the New Look that Dior highlighted
• Jeanne Lanvin’s career spans almost 50 years: from the 1890s to the New Look following World War II
• Trademark: her work is easily recognizable because her use of embroidery and a particular shade of blue, now called “Lanvin blue”.  She believed woman should look unabashedly feminine and the narrow empire-waisted dresses and long trailing sleeves had a “young girl” look to them