A Jeanne Lanvin beaded black chiffon and tulle evening gown, early 1930s, labelled and numbered 7.440, with graduated scalloped black beaded bands descending from bodice to hem, tulle godets to the hem
kerrytaylorauctions
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"I've spent ten years of my life doing this," says Dean Merceron of his new book, "Lanvin" (Rizzoli). "At this point, I feel like Madame Lanvin is the grandmother I never met." When he first started work on Lanvin, the house was considered a dusty relic. Enter Alber Elbaz—who wrote the foreword for the book—and interest exploded, a nice development for a designer Merceron considers to have been unfairly ignored by fashion historians. "Her attention to detail was incredible," he says. "She built her own dye factories so that her colors couldn't be copied by anyone else! She never tried to dress the masses—like Alber, she was always looking ahead to what women might want next." As he got ready to sign copies of his book at Rizzoli this evening, the author sat down with us for a chat about the oldest continuously operating couture house in Paris.
What was the house of Lanvin known for?
It was known for its ladylike, feminine style. Madame Lanvin would often dress several generations of the same family, adapting styles for them. The debutante might get no sleeves and a lower neckline, while the grandmother got long sleeves and a high neck. It was about surface embellishment like beading and embroidery and gorgeous fabrics, not avant-garde silhouettes. And she made beautiful lingerie.
Jeanne Lanvin had a very long career—she founded the house in 1909 and was still working when she died in 1946. How did she fit in with her contemporaries?
She was never a self-publicizer like Poiret or Chanel. And she was older—she was born in 1867—so she wasn't a model for her own clothes the way Chanel was. She didn't work the publicity circuit, which is probably why she was forgotten. She was more interested in her daughter and her dogs.
So, who was her clientele?
Lots of wealthy Americans—the Whitneys; the Vanderbilts; the Clarks, who were the Singer sewing-machine heirs. They were more adventurous buyers than the French. In fact, some of the best Lanvin pieces are in the U.S.
One of the signature styles of the House of Lanvin was the robe de style. Can you describe those?
The robe de style was based on the eighteenth -entury silhouette—a wide skirt held out by panniers and a flat tummy and flat derriere. It was much softer when Madame Lanvin did it, but it was still a wide-at-the-hips silhouette. It was a dress she made over and over again, adapting it by making it shorter or more décolleté, depending on who was wearing it and what was in fashion. Now women would think that they wouldn't want to wear something that made their hips look wider, but let's get real—no one thought those were your real hips.
—Nancy MacDonell
Friday, October 26, 2007
style.com
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Last edited by DosViolines : 23-05-2008 at 03:19 PM.
Entitled “Robe de Style,” this dress is made of egg shell moiré, crystal beads, and pearls. Worn by Mrs. Charles S. Dewey when presented to the Court of Saint James in 1927.
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An embroidered and beaded evening cape, attributed to Jeanne Lanvin, circa 1924, of sapphire blue satin with shocking pink silk lining, embroidered to the draped back in floss silks, gold bugle beads, pink and blue rhinestones with Aztec insired roundels, the collar and front closure lined in blue chiffon and edged in feathers cf. p.423 `Fashion', the Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute for a robe de style c.1924 with similar though not identical embroidered roundels
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
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A Jeanne Lanvin black silk crepe evening gown, circa 1936, labelled and numbered 1554, the flowing, stylishly bias-cut gown with lightly padded shoulders, balloon sleeves, the key-hole neckline and shoulders outlined with silvered leather banding
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A Jeanne Lanvin nude chiffon cocktail dress, 1923, labelled and dated, the neck and armholes outlined in gold ribbon; the bodice and skirt heavily beaded with large silver bugle breads and ribbon-embroidered flowerheads
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The fabric is velveteen, possibly a silk or rayon/silk. It is a bit more substantial than most velvets you find from this period.
The style is lean and slinky, as was the mode of the time. It, of course has many extraordinary touches, like the the triple gather at the shoulders that opens to those incredible, blossoming sleeves. The sleeves are 11" in diameter then finish at the wrist very abruptly to a tight fit.
The neckline has a lovely, soft drape. the waist features two little points above each hip that arrive from the back, pointing to the flat navel. The skirting has a relaxed fit and wonderful flow.
The dress is unlined. There are no closures, no zippers, no snaps, no hooks. It is a bias cut so the measurements are larger than the fit should be.
swankvintage.com
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Though the cropping of this George Hoyningen-Huené photograph, which appeared in the July 1, 1928, Vogue, might suggest a casual snapshot, the careful chiaroscuro lighting and graphic composition would indicate otherwise. The model wears a polkadot wool jersey bathing suit over navy shorts with a swim cap and striped beach shoes, all designed by Jeanne Lanvin.
Artist :George Hoyningen-Huené
condenaststore.com
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
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This auction is FULL of totally yummy stuff.
So many great '30s dresses...
I bet the bidding on this dress will be out of hand with all the recent attention Lanvin has gotten with the new book.
Wish I had lots of $$$!
Last edited by Sacheverelle : 09-09-2008 at 01:50 PM.
I LOVE LANVIN in they combine a style like no other clothes you wont to wear and feel and be a part of.Silk , shifon , organza gorgeous curls and constructional cuts it`s very feminin and in the same way strong and edgy and you wont to be in it you wont to feel the power of the peace and the clothes have an attitude.Simply genious from Jeanne to now!
Coat, Evening, ca. 1917
House of Lanvin (French, founded 1890)
Jeanne Lanvin
French
silk
metmuseum.org
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
Dress (Robe de Style), Evening, 1920–1925
House of Lanvin
Jeanne Lanvin
silk, metallic thread, glass, plastic
metmuseum.org
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And I am nothing of a builder, but here I dreamt I was an architect
And I built this balustrade to keep you home, to keep you safe from the outside world
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