The history of Lanvin is intrinsically linked to its founder, Jeanne Lanvin (1867–1946). Born in Paris on 1 January 1867, she was the eldest of eleven children in a modest family. She entered the workforce at the age of 13, earning her first wages with a milliner on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré before training formally and gaining a reputation for creativity and determination.1

At the age of 22, she opened her first hat business in 1889 at 16 Rue Boissy d’Anglas. By 1893, she had established her eponymous fashion house on the prestigious Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré.3 Notably, Lanvin did not begin as a traditional haute couture house but as a millinery; Jeanne’s ability to expand into new categories became a defining characteristic of her career.

A pivotal chapter in the house’s history began in 1897 with the birth of Jeanne’s only child, Marguerite, later known as Marie-Blanche de Polignac. Marguerite became her mother’s muse, inspiring exceptionally elaborate clothing that attracted inquiries from other mothers. This demand led Jeanne to establish a dedicated children’s clothing business, making Lanvin a pioneer in children’s fashion by 1908.1

The Lanvin logo

This maternal relationship directly influenced the house’s visual identity. The famous emblem depicting a mother and child was created by Art Deco illustrator Paul Iribe and remains one of the most recognisable symbols in luxury fashion.1 Unlike many corporate marks, the Lanvin emblem retains a direct connection to the founder’s personal life.

Jeanne Lanvin was remarkably diversified for her era. After establishing herself in hats and children’s clothing, she expanded into women’s and young women’s clothing, couture, menswear, lingerie, fur, bridalwear, sportswear, perfume, accessories, and interior decoration. Official histories describe her as a pioneer who continually created new departments as society and consumer lifestyles evolved.3

In 1909, the house expanded into women’s fashion and joined the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture, marking Jeanne’s transition from milliner to couturière.3 In 1926, Lanvin introduced a made-to-measure men’s collection, positioning Jeanne as one of the early Parisian designers to build a serious business around both women’s and men’s fashion. Consequently, Lanvin’s heritage extends beyond French women’s couture to encompass a complete luxury lifestyle business.

The 1920s were particularly significant for the house. Deeply interested in art and culture, Jeanne Lanvin associated with artists and collectors and was influenced by movements including the Nabis and Art Deco. These interests directly informed the output of her ateliers.1

Lanvin became renowned for rich colours, elaborate embroidery, beading, ribbons, pearls, geometric decoration, luxurious fabrics, and sculptural construction. The house’s aesthetic combined ornamentation with technical precision; garments could be highly ornate without sacrificing the underlying quality of couture cutting. Decoration remains fundamental to Lanvin’s DNA, distinguishing it from purely minimalist fashion philosophies.

One of the house’s most identifiable elements is Lanvin Blue. Jeanne Lanvin developed an affinity for intense blue tones, partly influenced by art. Lanvin Group describes the signature shade as being inspired by the blue found in fifteenth-century Italian frescoes by Fra Angelico.2

During the 1920s, Lanvin frequently juxtaposed this blue with black, white, silver, gold, and jewel tones, creating a sophisticated palette strongly connected to the Art Deco aesthetic.1 Lanvin Blue functions almost as a brand code, comparable to the distinctive colours associated with other major luxury houses.

Lanvin also became a significant name in fragrance. One of its most famous perfumes, Arpège, was launched in 1927. Jeanne created the scent as a birthday gift for her daughter Marguerite, and it became one of the house’s historic signatures.1 The name refers to the musical term arpeggio, reinforcing Jeanne’s interest in music and the arts. Perfume was integral to her broader philosophy of building a complete world around the Lanvin woman rather than simply designing clothing.

Jeanne Lanvin’s philosophy can be summarised through several key concepts:

• Elegance: The house historically emphasised refined elegance over aggressive display.
• Femininity: Lanvin became particularly associated with graceful, sophisticated femininity.
• Colour: Colour was fundamental to Jeanne’s creative process.
• Craftsmanship: Decoration was supported by technically sophisticated couture construction.
• Art: Painting, travel, architecture, music, and decorative arts all influenced the house.
• Modernity: Despite its traditional image today, Jeanne Lanvin was highly entrepreneurial and constantly expanded into new categories.

The house describes Jeanne’s ideal of elegance with the phrase “le chic ultime” (the ultimate chic), a concept that remains part of Lanvin’s contemporary identity.1

Jeanne Lanvin died on 6 July 1946 at the age of 79.1 Her daughter, Marie-Blanche de Polignac, subsequently became president of the company and continued to design collections until 1950. A succession of designers followed, helping to maintain the house’s identity and couture tradition while adapting to changing fashion eras.

Lanvin has passed through numerous creative eras. Antonio del Castillo was an important figure in the house’s postwar history. Much later, the house entered a particularly influential modern period under Alber Elbaz, who served as artistic director from 2001 to 2015.

Elbaz became strongly associated with Lanvin’s romantic, sophisticated womenswear and helped restore the house’s international visibility in the 21st century. His tenure was characterised by draping, sculptural silhouettes, romantic dresses, jewellery, feminine tailoring, and a deliberately imperfect elegance. It is often considered one of the most commercially and creatively important periods of modern Lanvin.

Following Elbaz’s departure in 2015, Lanvin underwent several creative transitions, working with designers including Bouchra Jarrar, Olivier Lapidus, and Bruno Sialelli. These periods reflected the challenges of modernising a historic couture house while retaining a recognisable identity.

In 2018, Lanvin was acquired by Fosun, a Chinese investment group that became the majority shareholder.2 Fosun’s fashion business was renamed Lanvin Group in 2021, and the group later became publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange in December 2022.2 It is important to distinguish between Lanvin, the French fashion house, and Lanvin Group, the larger luxury-fashion group that owns and manages a portfolio of brands including Lanvin.

In September 2024, Lanvin appointed British designer Peter Copping as Artistic Director for both womenswear and menswear.1 Copping previously held senior positions at Louis Vuitton, Nina Ricci, Oscar de la Renta, and Balenciaga.1

His first collection, Autumn/Winter 2025, was described by the house as a “homecoming” and a rediscovery of Jeanne Lanvin’s spirit.1 Copping’s approach emphasises the tension between historical codes and contemporary fashion, featuring elongated silhouettes, sharp tailoring, fluid draping, embroidery, romantic femininity, structured menswear, archival references, and couture-level craftsmanship. By 2026, his collections continued to develop this relationship; the Summer 2026 collection explored soft, sensual, and precise silhouettes,4 while the Winter 2026 collection explicitly positioned itself between contemporary fashion and couture.1

Today, Lanvin operates as a broad luxury fashion house rather than merely a couture label. Its categories include:

Womenswear

Dresses, tops, skirts, trousers, coats, jackets, knitwear, and eveningwear.

Menswear

Tailoring, coats, jackets, trousers, knitwear, shirts, and casualwear.

Accessories

Handbags, shoes, jewellery, belts, hats, and small leather goods.

Footwear

Lanvin has become notable in contemporary footwear, including sneakers and ballet-inspired shoes. The Curb sneaker became one of its recognisable modern products, connecting the heritage house with contemporary streetwear culture. The house continues to sell Curb variations alongside newer footwear such as the Glen and Midnight Step.1

Fragrance

Fragrance remains part of Lanvin’s historic identity, particularly through legacy names such as Arpège.

Lanvin’s visual language can be described as French, artistic, elegant, decorative, sophisticated, and sensual. Key visual codes include:

1. The mother-and-child logo: A direct reference to Jeanne and Marguerite.1
2. Lanvin Blue: One of the house’s signature colours.2
3. The name “LANVIN”: The wordmark is central as the house relies heavily on heritage rather than an elaborate contemporary logo.
4. Couture decoration: Embroidery, beads, pearls, ribbons, and elaborate surface treatments remain important.
5. Draping and movement: Particularly significant in contemporary womenswear.
6. Parisian architecture and interiors: The historic Faubourg Saint-Honoré location and Jeanne Lanvin’s interest in interior design remain part of the brand mythology.3

Lanvin occupies a distinct position within French luxury.

Lanvin is particularly distinctive because its identity combines couture craftsmanship with an unusually strong decorative and artistic tradition.

Lanvin’s significance lies not only in its longevity but in Jeanne Lanvin’s innovation. She anticipated the modern luxury concept of a fashion lifestyle brand, creating products for children, women, men, perfume, interiors, and accessories—a structure remarkably similar to contemporary luxury conglomerates.

She was also deeply engaged with the relationship between fashion, art, travel, music, and interior design. Official archives describe her collecting works by artists including Renoir, Degas, Fantin-Latour, Fragonard, and Odilon Redon, while her travels provided ideas for fabrics, embroidery, and silhouettes.1 Jeanne Lanvin was thus an early example of the modern creative entrepreneur.

As of 2026, Lanvin remains an operating Parisian luxury house within Lanvin Group, under the creative direction of Peter Copping.1 Its current strategy centres on reconnecting modern luxury with Jeanne Lanvin’s original heritage rather than simply reproducing archival clothing. Contemporary collections continue to reference Jeanne Lanvin’s wardrobe, Lanvin Blue, couture craftsmanship, Parisian elegance, art and decoration, fluid silhouettes, and historic house codes.

Simultaneously, Lanvin experiments with modern cultural collaborations. For example, Lanvin Lab has worked with contemporary cultural figures such as musician Future, incorporating his perspective into a unisex collection while drawing on the archives.1 This reflects a strategic direction of using heritage as a foundation for contemporary culture rather than treating it as a museum piece.

Lanvin is a French luxury fashion house founded in Paris by Jeanne Lanvin in 1889. Originally a millinery business, it evolved into one of France’s most important fashion houses after Jeanne expanded into children’s clothing, womenswear, menswear, couture, perfume, and lifestyle products. Her daughter Marguerite became her muse, inspiring both the development of children’s fashion and the house’s famous mother-and-child emblem. During the 1920s, Lanvin became renowned for its use of rich colours, particularly Lanvin Blue, elaborate embroidery, Art Deco influences, and exceptional craftsmanship. After Jeanne’s death in 1946, the house passed through numerous creative eras, with designers such as Antonio del Castillo and, much later, Alber Elbaz playing important roles in its evolution. Following ownership by Shaw-Lan Wang and subsequently Fosun, Lanvin became part of Lanvin Group. Since 2024, British designer Peter Copping has served as Artistic Director, steering the house toward a contemporary interpretation of Jeanne Lanvin’s legacy. Today, Lanvin represents a distinctive form of Parisian luxury defined by artistic sensibility, couture craftsmanship, elegant femininity, strong colour, historical depth, and the continuing tension between heritage and modernity.1

1. Histoire de la maison
2. LANVIN – Lanvin Group
3. Jeanne Lanvin
4. Summer 2026 Show