"Jolibois"

House of Lanvin  (French, founded 1889)

Designer:
Jeanne Lanvin (French, 1867–1946)
Date:
fall/winter 1922–23
Culture:
French
Medium:
silk
Dimensions:
Length at CB: 55 in. (139.7 cm)
Credit Line:
Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Gift of the Brooklyn Museum, 2009; Gift of Louise Gross, 1986
Accession Number:
2009.300.2635
  • Description

    The contrast between the fuzzy chenille embroidery and the smooth silk textile on this stunning Lanvin dress is remarkable. The deliberate space between the embroidery exemplifies Lanvin's design aesthetic.

    Jeanne Lanvin was apprenticed to a milliner and a dressmaker before opening her own millinery shop in 1889. She expanded into dressmaking when her clients began asking for the ensembles in which she adorned her daughter, Marguerite di Pietro (1897-1958). Her style embodied the femininity of youth in a most modern way with meticulous and relatively sparse surface embellishments and robe de style silhouettes, which could be worn by women of all ages. Lanvin's aptitude can be seen through her house's 1920s expansion into fur, lingerie, men's wear, household goods and perfume. She even had the forethought to open her own dye factory which produced the inimitable 'Lanvin blue.' The longevity of the House of Lanvin can be credited to her attentive management and design standards from its inception.

  • Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

    Marking: Label: "Jeanne Lanvin/Paris/Unis France 15-7/Hiver 1922-1923/38388"

  • See also
    Who
    What
    Where
    When
    In the Museum
    Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
80095338

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