The Story of Lanvin

By Jagged Metal

Lanvin is the oldest surviving French fashion house, founded in Paris in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin. It began with a millinery shop, then children's clothing designed for her daughter Marguerite, then womenswear. That origin matters. Even as the house grew, there was always a sense of softness and movement in the clothes — less rigid than couture at the time, more personal.

By the 1920s, Lanvin was established as a major couture house. The robe de style — a full-skirted silhouette with a fitted bodice — became one of its defining shapes, offering an alternative to the straighter, more severe lines of contemporaries. Decorative without being excessive, structured without feeling heavy. The signature fragrance Arpège launched in 1927, created as a birthday gift for Marguerite. Jeanne Lanvin died in 1946, having built one of the most expansive couture operations in Paris — at its peak, nearly 800 employees and twenty-three ateliers worldwide.

Jewellery was never the centre of Lanvin in the way it was for Chanel, but when it appears, it follows the same logic: design-led, tied closely to the mood of the time, and less reliant on a fixed visual code.

Costume jewellery became part of Lanvin's ready-to-wear offering in the 1960s. The earliest pieces fall into the Modernist category — abstract forms, sculptural shapes, graphic rather than ornate. Enamel, resin and mixed materials appear alongside metalwork, reflecting broader changes in manufacturing and design. In the late 1960s, carved plastic pendants on chains, influenced by pop art, were produced — these are among the most collected Lanvin pieces today. The jewellery from this decade sits comfortably alongside wider European modernist design, though it is less formally documented than some contemporaries.

The 1970s introduce a more relaxed and varied aesthetic. Pieces get larger and more expressive: gilt metal clamper bracelets, large lucite and bakelite pendants on long chains, enamel knot chokers, three-dimensional modernist brooches. The design language draws on the geometric vocabulary of the 1920s and 1930s, updated with a space-age sensibility. Chains become heavier, colour more visible, pendants more prominent. Unlike Chanel or Givenchy, Lanvin doesn't rely on a single recognisable motif or logo during this period — the identity is more about overall style than branding, which makes attribution more dependent on marks and construction.

By the 1980s, scale increases again. Gold-tone metal dominates. Chains, cuffs and bold earrings become more common — oversized pearl clip earrings, crystal and gold-tone collar necklaces, rhinestone-embellished statement pieces. There is no single defining code equivalent to Chanel's CC or Givenchy's 4G. The strongest pieces from this period are those where proportion and construction carry the design rather than branding. That lack of a fixed visual signature is both a limitation and a point of interest.

Lanvin jewellery is typically marked "Lanvin Paris" on an oval cartouche, sometimes including "Made in France." A metal hangtag with back-to-back Ls appears on some pieces. Some pieces were produced in Germany and carry the country of origin as part of the mark.

For collectors, Lanvin requires a slightly different approach from more codified houses. There is less reliance on obvious branding and more variation across decades — condition, construction and overall design tend to matter more than logos. The most interesting pieces are well-proportioned, materially considered, and consistent with the design language of their period.

Lanvin sits slightly outside the main vintage jewellery narrative. It doesn't carry the recognition of Chanel or Dior, and its jewellery output is less widely documented. The weaker pieces can feel anonymous. The stronger ones are often overlooked — and priced accordingly. For collectors who already know the major houses, that's exactly where it gets interesting.

Jagged Metal specialises in authenticated vintage designer and costume jewellery from the 1960s through to Y2K. Browse our vintage Lanvin collection at jaggedmetal.com.