Product Description

The House of Lanvin evolved from the creative force and remarkable energy of an extraordinary woman, Jeanne Lanvin. Her design career survived fifty-six successful and productive years. Lanvin is the oldest surviving couture house, in near-continuous existence from 1909 through the present day. Her body of work includes millinery, children’s wear, haute couture, fragrances, furs, lingerie, menswear, and interior design among others. The continuous public appeal and the youthful image of these couture creations are lasting aspects of Madame Lanvin’s career. At the heart of this book are key collections from 1909 through 1946, the year of Lanvin’s death. Original fashion illustrations, beading and embroidery swatches play a crucial role in demonstrating her intricate, creative, and innovative techniques. The house of Lanvin is currently experiencing a period of great acclaim, emerging as a darling of the press, Hollywood, and the larger fashion community. With the most modern of efforts, Alber Elbaz, the current design director, is drawing from the rich Lanvin tradition to create an award-winning collection that at once evokes, reveres, and reinvents the intentions of its founder.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34559 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-23
• Released on: 2007-10-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 370 pages

Review
Alber Elbaz's most recent collection for Lanvin was an inspired study in romance, fluidity, and, maybe most importantly, winning the hearts (and checkbooks) of every buyer and editor in town. His flowing gowns and intricately embroidered dresses were also celebrated for their ability to reference the house's history while still moving very much forward. A new book by Dean L. Merceron, out next week, traces the ever-progressive history of Lanvin, from its founding in 1909 by Jeanne Lanvin up to the current reign of Elbaz, with a focus on the key collections from the first half of the twentieth century. The book is overflowing with images of gowns culled from the atelier's archive, collectors, and museums, giving a visual history to one of the most influential labels in French fashion, then and now. Harold Koda, chief curator of the Metropolitan Museum's Costume Institute, puts it best in his introduction: "Masterful old techniques come to life with contemporary relevance...the original spirit of Lanvin has been transposed to the present." -- Elle.com 10.2007

About the Author
Dean Merceron is an authority on 20th-century French fashion and is a contributor to the Encyclopedia of Clothing and Fashion. Harold Koda is Curator of the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Alber Elbaz is the current Design Director of Lanvin.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
"THE HOUSE OF LANVIN evolved from the creative force and remarkable energy of an extraordinary woman, Jeanne Lanvin."i(Fig. 1-00) The design career of Jeanne Lanvin survived fifty-six successful and productive years-- Lanvin was the oldest surviving couture house in continuous existence, from 1909 to 1993, a period of eightyfour years. Lanvin still exists in its original location as a luxury goods and ready-to-wear business for men and women, and the house now has boutiques around the world. But to this day, compared with more famous names such as Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel or Paul Poiret, many people remain unaware of the identity and many achievements of Jeanne Lanvin as well as her contributions to the fashion industry and the world of design in general. The longevity of this couture house may be attributed to the untiring force and determination of a woman driven by the relentless need to create, succeed, and excel within her chosen field among many worthy, predominantly male, contemporaries. Fueled by the single-minded devotion to her daughter, Marguerite Marie-Blanche, her love for and focus on the child manifested itself in the most inspired, creative, and feminine fashions (Fig. 1-00). Also contributing to the longevity of the couture house was her versatility. Madame Lanvin successfully melded the Lanvin image with the changing desires and needs of fickle fashion clientele. (Fig, 1-00) The house of Lanvin image was clearly defined and redefined from season to season, and always maintained its image of youth, femininity, and beauty. Madame Lanvin was a fashion leader and innovator in the twenties, using original colors and innovative surface decorationsthat ensured the distinctiveness of her creations. Although the garments are masterfully constructed, the true appeal and originality of these designs is in the surface detail and embellishment. The origin and influences of these beading and embroidery designs are of great importance and interest. The stylings at Lanvin were not necessarily the same as those being offered by other leading fashion houses, but were consistently recognized with accolades and impressive sales. Madame Lanvin offered a vast array of styles and options catering to women of all ages and their unique needs. She managed to maintain her style and adjusted her perspective with the vicissitudes of fashion. (Fig. 1-04) Marguerite was her muse; her youthful and contemporary perspective served to sustain the fresh and up-to-date image of the fashion house. When one actually examines a Lanvin product, it is quite obvious why the couture house remained in favor with a loyal international clientele for such a long time. Madame Lanvin's artistic sensibility and creative spirit is evident in even the simplest of forms. (Fig. 1-05, 06, 07) She collected books, textiles, and assorted artifacts on her world travels. (Fig. 1-08) She is one of the few designers of her time who successfully drew inspiration from colors, motifs, and symbols inspired by visits to cathedrals, museums, and art galleries. There is a small but important difference between "being inspired by" and "using" something as an inspiration. "Being inspired by" allows one to draw upon the essence of an object, a color, or an image to produce something original. "Using" something as an inspiration implies a literal translation in the design process. There is no original thought or creativity required, only appropriation. Madame Lanvin was a designer who could successfully extract elements and incorporate them into viable, modern, and functional design. An excellent example of this is the development of her signature color, "Lanvin blue." Examining the Patrimoine Lanvin suggests that it was inspired by a color present in frescoes created by Fra Angelico (Fig. 1-00). However, other texts state that the blue color derived from cobalt in medieval stained glass was the inspiration for "Lanvin blue." There is no definitive proof to resolve the contradiction, but over the years many creations consistently appearing in Lanvin collections extract from or reference the works of Fra Angelico. It is clear that Fra Angelico was a source of inspiration for her and undoubtedly "Lanvin blue" was inspired, at least in part, by the same blue color consistently found in in Fra Angelico.

Customer Reviews

Useful but incomplete monograph on the house of Lanvin
This book is the best resource available regarding the original designs of Jeanne Lanvin, but it is an absolute travesty that the author chose not to include any mention of the house's creative output from the time of Lanvin's death in 1946 until the moment Alber Elbaz took the helm in 2002 almost fifty years later (with a whopping sixty pages devoted to the current designer). Granted Elbaz is a very talented man, but so were his predecessors Antonio del Castillo, Jules-Francois Crahay, and Claude Montana, and I fully expected them to be represented in this volume. For the fashion enthusiast, this book is certainly worth buying, but unless the omissions are corrected in a later volume it is manifestly an incomplete history of the house of Lanvin. You can find good examples of Crahay's designs for Lanvin in the book _Rare Bird of Fashion_, but I know of no serious scholarship regarding Antonio del Castillo's body of work, and this is a shame. This book is an indispensable addition to any library of the history of fashion, but it has absolutely missed an opportunity to showcase the creativity of Lanvin's successors / Elbaz's predecessors.

Don't Miss This Masterpiece
This book makes the hair on the nape of my neck stand up. The research, the photographs, the interviews, the sketches - it's a masterpiece. If you don't have this book, run out and buy it.

gorgeous book!
Such an inspiring book. I just love the history and the detail.
lovely...