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“Vénitienne“ (Venetian) Evening Dress, ca. 1921-22

Jeanne Lanvin

via unknown

#Vénitienne #venetian #1920s #1920s fashion #jeanne lanvin #house of lanvin #lanvin #wine #vintage fashion #1920s evening dresses #bib front #rendering #fashion sketch #vintage

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Organza Robe de Style Trimmed with Silk Flowers, ca. 1922-23

Designed by Jeanne Lanvin

Worn by Cátalina Bárcena

via V&A

#Cátalina Bárcena #silk organza dress #jeanne lanvin #lanvin #house of lanvin #silk flowers #robe de style #1920s #1920s fashion #ruffles #vintage #vintage fashion #rendering #fashion rendering #fashion sketch #fashion history #vintage dresses

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It’s FRIDAY FASHION FACT, and it’s time for another designer bio! Jeanne Lanvin was one of the most influential designers of the 1920s. She created a vast fashion empire, which still exists today. Yet while her name is well known, the woman herself preferred to stay in the shadows. So what is the story behind this remarkable designer and business woman? Jeanne Lanvin was born in Brittany, France on New Years Day, 1867. She was the eldest of 11 children. At the age of 16, she became an apprentice for the milliner Madame Félix in Paris, later training with a dressmaker. At the age of 22, Lanvin opened her own millinery shop. A few years later, in 1895, Jeanne Lanvin married Italian Count Emilio di Pietro. They had a daughter, Marguerite, who naturally became Mme. Lanvin’s source of inspiration. She created fashionable dresses for her daughter, which immediately caught the eye of her high-society friends. They commissioned Lanvin to make clothing for their own children. Soon, Lanvin was creating ensembles for both mothers and their children (think those “mommy and me” outfits you see today, but far more high-class.) Lanvin divorced Pietro in 1905, and while she remarried two years later, she did not have any more children. At the same time, her clothing business was building rapidly, and she established herself as an official couturier in 1909 when she became a member of the Syndicat de la Couture, the organization which regulated the French fashion industry. While of course her designs were beautiful, it was her detail, precision, level of quality which truly set House of Lanvin garments above the rest. She insisted on perfection, even opening up her own dye factory to create the ideal colors for her textiles. While throughout the 1910s, women’s clothing became progressively more simplistic and tunic-like, utilizing straight lines, Lanvin preferred to take her cues from the shapes seen throughout history. This is most obvious in her Grecian gowns, and the iconic robe de style, inspired by 18th century court mantuas (read here.) While other designers such as Poiret and Chanel were making a mark for themselves in the 1920s, Jeanne Lanvin was turning her brand into an empire. Not only did she have the standard women’s fashion shops, but she also opened shops dedicated to menswear, lingerie, sportswear, even home decor. She also created the iconic perfume, Arpège, inspired by her daughter playing scales on the piano. You can still buy this scent today, in a bottle emblazoned with a stylized image of Jeanne and Marguerite, the House of Lanvin logo. Though Lanvin was often pushed to be the face of her company, like her contemporaries Chanel and Schiaparelli, she preferred to propel her House forward through strong business acumen and brilliant design skills. Jeanne Lanvin passed away in 1946 at the age of 79. House of Lanvin was taken over by Marguerite until her passing in 1958. The business was run by various members of the Lanvin family until 1990. Yet House of Lanvin is still going strong today, always looking to its innovative founder, and is officially the oldest continuously running French fashion house still in operation. Have a question about fashion history that you want answered in the next FRIDAY FASHION FACT? Just click the ASK button at the top of the page!