Jeanne Lanvin Labels: History and How to Date Them
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Jeanne Lanvin (1867 to 1946) founded one of the oldest surviving Paris couture houses, famous for the romantic robe de style. The house has run under a long series of designers since her death, so the period name on the label, such as Lanvin-Castillo, can date a piece closely.
Company history
The Vintage Fashion Guild (VFG) records that Lanvin opened a millinery shop in Paris in 1890 and a dressmaking business in 1909, after becoming known for dresses she made for her daughter. By 1915 she had developed the robe de style, with a small waist and full skirt, and she kept making it through the 1920s; our 1920s hub describes it as the romantic alternative to the straight chemise. After her death in 1946 her daughter hired Antonio del Castillo in 1950, and the house became known as Lanvin-Castillo until he left in 1962. Jules-François Crahay was head designer from 1963 to 1984, followed by designers including Claude Montana and, from 2001 to 2015, Alber Elbaz.
Label timeline
| Label or clue | Approximate dates | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Millinery | From 1890 | Before the dressmaking house |
| Jeanne Lanvin dressmaking and couture | From 1909 | Her own couture |
| Robe de style | From about 1915 into the 1920s | Her signature dress |
| Lanvin-Castillo | 1950 to 1962 | Castillo's period |
| Crahay period | 1963 to 1984 | Later couture |
| Alber Elbaz period | 2001 to 2015 | Modern Lanvin |
The VFG also shows a model number label from a spring-summer 1962 haute couture suit.
What it helps date
- Lanvin appears among leading couture names in our Edwardian, 1920s and 1930s hubs.
- Couture labels often carry numbers or details on the back: date by labels, designer label fakes.
Values
Our vintage dress values guide reports a Jeanne Lanvin haute couture robe de style, autumn-winter 1926 to 1927, at £32,500 in a Kerry Taylor sale reported in December 2025 (via the Vintage Fashion Guild), an outlier rather than a benchmark. Prices are estimates.
check sold prices for lanvin vintage dress on eBay
Sources
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Guides that mention Lanvin
- 1920s Clothing: How to Date and Value Flapper-Era FashionDate 1920s clothing by waistline and hemline, spot real beaded flapper dresses versus costumes, and see realistic 2026 auction values by garment type.
- 1930s Clothing: How to Date and Value ItDate 1930s clothing by bias cut, natural waist, shoulders, zippers and NRA labels, tell it from later copies, and see realistic 2026 auction values.
- Edwardian Clothing (1901-1910): How to Date and Value ItDate Edwardian clothing by the S-bend silhouette, lingerie dresses, lace, tailor-mades and construction, with realistic 2026 auction values.
- Vintage Dress Values: Prices by Era, Label and ConditionRealistic 2026 price ranges for vintage and antique dresses, Victorian to 1990s, by era and label, with auction results and what moves the price.
Related
- How to Date Vintage Clothing by the LabelUse the laws, postcodes, fiber names and country names printed on a garment label to work out the earliest year it could have been made.
- How to Spot Fake Designer Labels on Vintage ClothingTell a genuine vintage designer piece from a counterfeit, licensed product or adaptation by checking the label, construction, fabric and history.
- Vintage Dress Values: Prices by Era, Label and ConditionRealistic 2026 price ranges for vintage and antique dresses, Victorian to 1990s, by era and label, with auction results and what moves the price.
- ACWA Union Labels: History and How to Date ThemDate men's suits, coats and shirts by the ACWA union label: the first label of 1916, the 1949 design with and without the registered mark, and ACTWU.