Lanvin's New Woman Revealed in Steven Meisel Campaign
Lanvin Character Studies is the new image campaign by the historic French house of Lanvin, which under the creative direction of Bruno Sialelli is embarking on a fresh visual chapter as part of a wider re-brand for the label. Photographed by Steve Meisel, France's oldest fashion house is reimagining the Lanvin woman for today under the ownership of the Lanvin Group (previously Fosun Fashion Group), driven by big growth ambitions.
Founded in 1889, Jeanne Lanvin established herself as the couturier for the modern woman, with clothes which made the wearer feel confident. The Lanvin Blue, or ‘Fra Angelico Blue’, was introduced to flatter most skin and hair types, whilst as the house's Robe de Style, a formal dress for evening wear with wide panniers, was at the forefront of style in the 1920s. Bows, closhes, daisies, pearlage and embroidery were key codes and motifs. The archives then, are rich for the French Sialelli, who has been designing Lanvin since 2019, however the brand has struggled to maintain the iconic status of it's contemporaries such as Saint Laurent and Chanel. Recent years under Chinese ownership have seen the brand pivot to bigger ambitions as they appeal to a younger consumer, with the likes of Ariana Grande, Travis Scott and Timothée Chalamet seen wearing Lanvin on both the red carpet and the street.
A new campaign shot by Meisel, with hair by Guido Palau and make-up by Pat McGrath, channels Jeanne Lanvin's guiding principle of ‘le chic ultime' through six starring female personalities. Described by the brand as 'cultured, curious, discreet, self-possessed and secure in just her own skin', Raquel Zimmermann features alongside Electra 3000, Wali Deutsch, Lex Peckham, Alay Deng and Lian Koster. The campaign is bookended by a newly designed website created by M/M Paris and boutique concept set to open early next year.