EXCLUSIVE: Lanvin Opens a Boutique in Cannes, Steps Away From Where Jeanne Lanvin Set Up Shop in the 1920s
CANNES — Lanvin has landed.
The storied French house has opened an address on the Boulevard de la Croisette just ahead of the Cannes Film Festival.
More from WWD
It marks a homecoming of sorts for the brand, as Jeanne Lanvin opened a boutique in Cannes in the early 1920s. The new 710-square-foot store is nestled just in front of the Miramar Hotel in the former Jimmy Choo spot — but more notably, it’s just steps away from the old Royal Hotel where the label’s founder set up shop 100 years ago.
“This is a return to Cannes for Lanvin after a century-long absence. It has meaning. And as it always is with real estate, this was about seizing a fantastic opportunity to come back in a prime location on La Croisette,” Lanvin deputy general manager Siddhartha Shukla told WWD.
“Lanvin has a new global boutique concept that will define the permanent space in 2025 — this opportunity came about recently, and we decided to capitalize on it before the summer and festival season begins to tell the story of a remarkable event in the history of the house when Jeanne Lanvin staged a couture presentation on the maiden trans-Atlantic voyage of the Normandie,” added Shukla. “It seemed particularly fitting given the geographical context of the boutique and our position as a house with a storied relationship to Cannes and the Riviera generally.
“Jeanne Lanvin understood the unique appeal of Cannes as early as the 1920s when she first established a boutique on La Croisette. She remains our north star as we return to Cannes a century later with a vision for Lanvin as the ultimate reference for French chic and elegance,” he added.
For design inspiration, the brand looked to the Normandie, which first set sail in 1935, as its maritime muse. So it’s all aboard the S.S. Lanvin at this seaside location for the pop-up concept, which is full of nautical touches as conceived by the house’s internal teams and differs from its global flagships.
In wood, white and blue, the boutique takes its nautical cues from the Normandie’s Art Deco and Art Nouveau interiors. The house restored vintage photos of the ship’s interiors to their original colors in order to find the right hues for the space. It transformed those references to shade the Italian parquet flooring in a deep blue, repeated on the ceiling for an immersive experience that evokes the sea and sky.
Interior furnishings were finished with a weathered patina, adding to the ship-like feel, and doors feature round windows reminiscent of a yacht. The lighting was also created with the Normandie in mind, incorporating similar elements of the ship’s original furniture in the fixtures, while mirrors have been given an antique effect.
The ship’s first-class promenade also served as an inspiration here, shown in the display cases. Italian materials abound, with fabric paneling in the seating area, as well as additional woodwork sourced from the country.
Notably, some areas are left unfinished as indication the brand will expand the boutique into a permanent location next year.
That means the pop-up concept will sunset after this summer for an overhaul. The full, two-story boutique is slated to open in the first quarter of 2025. That expansion will be along the house’s new design codes, as seen in the Madison Avenue flagship which opened in July 2023, and the upcoming South Coast Plaza outpost that is due to open May 30.
Selecting Cannes for its South of France location has much to do with the town’s makeover, executives said, including the recent revamps of the Croisette beach restaurants, the town square and the pedestrianization and standardization of other areas such as rue d’Antibes as it seeks to upscale its image.
Look no further than the polishing up of the city’s century-old properties including the Palm Beach entertainment center, which reopens this week, and the historical Carlton hotel last year.
“We are continually evaluating our existing retail network and always open to expansion opportunities when they make brand and business sense and can be executed with integrity and responsibility,” said Shukla of selecting Cannes over other seaside spots such as Saint-Tropez.
The house has long had other ties to the region and has maintained a store in Monaco since 1995.
“We are delighted to open a second boutique for our clients to experience Lanvin on the celebrated C?te d’Azur, a dream of a destination in our home territory,” added Shukla.
It’s a growth moment for the brand following an executive change at parent company Lanvin Group appointing new chief executive officer Eric Chan in December, with plans to expand the flagship Lanvin label with more doors worldwide. Other openings in Paris and Shanghai are planned for later this year.
Collections from spring and fall 2024 will be on hand at the pop-up as well as a dedicated capsule of evening gowns and tuxedos for any last minute red carpet needs. Lanvin expects to expand that service with a dedicated VIP section in the full boutique next year.
The brand’s classic Pencil Cat bags will feature, and there will be a limited-edition collection of accessories made from deadstock fabrics available at the Cannes boutique.
To celebrate, Lanvin will be cohosting a splashy soiree with film-and-fashion dealmaker Charles Finch. The private dinner will honor director Paul Schrader, whose “Oh, Canada” is in competition this year, alongside the launch of the latest issue of Finch’s film magazine A Rabbit’s Foot.
The brand will also offer souvenir postcards reproducing Lanvin’s sketches for her original Cannes collections.
Lanvin, 65 Boulevard de la Croisette, Cannes.
Best of WWD
Solve the daily Crossword
