Luvanis
{{Infobox company
| name = Luvanis S.A.
| logo = Luvanis_logo.png
| type = Private
| industry = Luxury goods
| founded = {{start date and age|2009|02|11|df=}}
| hq_location = Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
| key_people = {{ubl|Arnaud de Lummen (Managing director)|Guy de Lummen (Board member)|Carlo Schneider (Board member)|Pierre Mallevays (Board member)}}
| brands = Charles James
Finnigans
Mainbocher
Maquet
Rose Bertin
| website = {{URL|http://www.luvanis.com/|Luvanis.com}}
}}
Luvanis S.A. is a private investment company headquartered in Luxembourg and specialized in the incubation and revival of long-dormant luxury brands,{{Cite book|title=European Fashion: The Creation of a Global Industry|last=Zanon|first=Johanna|publisher=Manchester University Press|year=2018|isbn=978-1-5261-2210-0|editor-last1=Blaszczyk|editor-first1=Regina Lee |location=Manchester|chapter=Reawakening the 'Sleeping Beauties' of Haute Couture: The Case of Guy and Arnaud de Lummen|editor-last2=Pouillard|editor-first2=Véronique}} also coined as “sleeping beauties”.{{Cite book|title=The 'Sleeping Beauties' of Haute Couture: Jean Patou, Elsa Schiaparelli, Madeleine Vionnet|last=Zanon|first=Johanna|publisher=University of Oslo|year=2017|location=Oslo|pages=1–26}}{{Cite journal|last1=Dion|first1=Delphine|last2=Mazzalovo|first2=Gérald|title=Reviving sleeping beauty brands by rearticulating brand heritage|journal=Journal of Business Research|volume=69|issue=12|pages=5894–5900|doi=10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.04.105|year=2016}}
History
In 2007, Guy de Lummen and his son Arnaud de Lummen reintroduced the first Vionnet clothing line since 1939, with Sophia Kokosalaki as creative director and Barneys New York as exclusive distributor.{{Cite web |date=2007-02-02 |title=Vionnet's Revival |url=https://blogs.wsj.com/runway/2007/02/02/fw-vionnet/ |access-date=2018-02-02 |website=Wall Street Journal |language=en-US}} After the initial reboot,{{Cite news |last=Menkes |first=Suzy |author-link=Suzy Menkes |date=2007-10-08 |title=Turnaround begins at Vionnet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/08/style/08iht-rrucci.4.7801808.html |access-date=2018-02-02 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Arnaud and Guy de Lummen sold Vionnet to Italian entrepreneurs Matteo Marzotto, former CEO of Valentino, and Gianni Castiglioni, CEO and owner of Marni.{{Cite news |last=Ilari |first=Alessandra |date=2009-02-24 |title=Marzotto, Castiglioni Buy Vionnet |url=http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/marzotto-castiglioni-buy-vionnet-2029219/ |access-date=2018-02-02 |work=Women's Wear Daily |language=en-US}}
After this successful experience, the father-and-son duo founded Luvanis in 2009. In 2009, Luvanis acquired rights over the luxury trunk maker Moynat{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-cult-of-french-luxury-brand-moynat-1430422296|title=The Cult of French Luxury Brand Moynat|last=Voight|first=Rebecca|date=2015-04-30|work=Wall Street Journal|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en-US|issn=0099-9660}} and drove Bernard Arnault (through his holdings Groupe Arnault) to buy Moynat.{{Cite news|title=Arnault Eyes Bags of Potential in Trunk-Maker|last=Narayan|first=Shoba|date=2012-03-06|work=Financial Times}} Moynat reopened in Paris in December 2011.{{Cite news|url=https://wwd.com/accessories-news/leather-goods/arnault-relaunches-moynat-5405888/|title=Bernard Arnault Revives Trunk Maker Moynat|last=Socha|first=Miles|date=2011-12-01|work=Women's Wear Daily|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en-US}} Luvanis also relaunched the French trunk maker Au Départ{{Cite news|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahelliott/2013/03/20/coming-soon-the-best-fashion-brands-youve-never-heard-of/#133106713a5f|title=Coming Soon: The Glamorous Fashion Brands You've Never Heard Of|last=Elliott|first=Hannah|work=Forbes|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en}} and the American leather goods company Belber.{{Cite news |last=Socha |first=Miles |date=2012-05-02 |title=Arnaud de Lummen: Fashion's Brand Reviver |url=http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/de-lummens-revival-model-5886947/ |access-date=2018-02-02 |work=Women's Wear Daily |language=en-US}} Belber was then sold to the former owners of Alain Figaret and Delvaux.{{Cite news|url=http://www.belber.com/media/pressrelease2.pdf|title=Press Release – The Revival of Belber 1891|date=2016-01-15|work=Belber commercial website}} Au Départ was retributed to Asian investors and relaunched on rue Saint Honoré in 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/heritage-trunk-maker-au-depart-returns-with-extreme-luxury-vision-1203327680/|title=Heritage Trunk Maker Au Départ Returns With 'Extreme Luxury' Vision|last=Theodosi|first=Natalie|date=2019-09-30|website=WWD|language=en|access-date=2019-10-21}}{{Cite web|url=https://vmagazine.com/article/au-depart-looks-to-the-future-with-latest-collection/|title=Au Départ Looks To The Future With Latest Collection {{!}} V Magazine|website=vmagazine.com|access-date=2019-10-21}}
In the wake of a landmark exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art dedicated to the American fashion designer Charles James in 2014,{{Cite web|url=http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2014/charles-james-beyond-fashion|title=Charles James: Beyond Fashion|website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art|access-date=2018-02-02}} Luvanis joined forces and trademarks rights with the designer’s heirs in June 2016, paving the way for the revival of the couture house.{{Cite news|url=http://wwd.com/business-news/mergers-acquisitions/charles-james-harvey-weinstein-revival-with-new-partner-10465404|title=Charles James Heirs Seek Brand Revival With New Partner|last=Socha|first=Miles|date=2016-06-23|work=Women's Wear Daily|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en-US}}{{Cite news|url=http://wwd.com/eye/people/charles-james-portrait-of-an-unreasonable-designer-1202626395/|title=Charles James: Portrait of an 'Unreasonable' Designer|last=Koski|first=Lorna|date=2018-03-13|work=Women's Wear Daily|access-date=2018-05-25|language=en-US}} In September 2018, Luvanis revealed a new visual identity for Charles James, and put up for sale all the brands rights, which had been consolidated in the previous years.{{Cite news|url=https://wwd.com/business-news/mergers-acquisitions/charles-james-brand-rights-on-sale-1202788206/|title=EXCLUSIVE: Charles James Brand Rights Up for Sale|last=Diderich|first=Joelle|date=2018-09-07|work=Women's Wear Daily|access-date=2018-09-07|language=en-US}}
In October 2014, Luvanis put up for sale the Paul Poiret house and its archives{{Cite news|url=https://runway.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/10/28/the-name-of-the-french-fashion-designer-paul-poiret-is-for-sale/|title=Fashionistas and Investors Start Salivating: Paul Poiret Is For Sale|last=Friedman|first=Vanessa|work=On the Runway Blog|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en|author-link=Vanessa Friedman}} and sold it to the South Korean luxury group Shinsegae International in August 2015.{{Cite news|url=http://wwd.com/fashion-news/designer-luxury/paul-poiret-acquired-shinsegae-designer10198971-10198971/|title=Paul Poiret Trademarks Acquired By Shinsegae International|last=Socha|first=Miles|date=2015-08-10|work=Women's Wear Daily|access-date=2018-02-02|language=en-US}} The sale was officially confirmed in January 2018 and the brand relaunched after a 90-year hiatus.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/the-king-of-fashions-house-gets-a-second-chance-at-life|title=The King of Fashion's House Gets a Second Chance at Life|work=The Fashion Law|access-date=2018-05-25|language=en-US}}
Luvanis was the lead corporate sponsor of an exhibition on Mainbocher held at the Chicago History Museum between October 2016 and August 2017, which garnered more than 100,000 visitors. Luvanis announced plans to revive the couture house shortly after.{{Cite news |last=Foreman |first=Katya |date=2016-12-12 |title=Arnaud de Lummen on Reviving Sleeping Beauties |url=http://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/de-lummen-sleeping-beauties-10725279/ |access-date=2018-02-02 |work=Women's Wear Daily |language=en-US}}
Activities
Luvanis is a company focused on identifying and acquiring the rights to forgotten brand gems in order to reposition them and find partners or investors to fund their relaunch.{{Cite news |last=Solca |first=Luca |date=2015-05-12 |title=Cinderellas, Snow Whites or Sleeping Beauties? |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/opinion/are-fashions-smaller-brands-cinderellas-snow-whites-or-sleeping-beauties |access-date=2018-02-02 |work=The Business of Fashion |language=en-GB}} The business model attempts to strike a balance between reasserting the brands’ heritage, and updating it for the present.{{Cite web |last=Cochrane |first=Lauren |date=2014-11-07 |title=Why fashion loves to revive heritage brands |url=https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/fashion-blog/2014/nov/07/why-fashion-loves-to-revive-heritage-brands |access-date=2018-02-02 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Liroy |first=Choufan |date=2012-03-21 |title=Why Relaunch Old Fashion Houses? |url=https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/why-relaunch-old-fashion-houses |access-date=2018-02-02 |work=The Business of Fashion |language=en-GB}} Over the years, Luvanis has constituted a portfolio of long-dormant ‘sleeping beauty’ brands composed of former luxury houses in fashion, shoes, leather goods, jewelry, perfume, and champagne, which had enjoyed decades of success before closing doors.{{Cite web |last=Thomson |first=Adam |date=26 September 2013 |title=Arnaud de Lummen Awakens Vintage Luxury Brands from their Slumber |url=https://www.ft.com/content/03aaa54a-26a2-11e3-9dc0-00144feab7de?mhq5j=e3 |access-date=2018-02-02 |website=Financial Times |language=en-GB}} Brands selected will typically have received great recognition both in their prime (prizes at World's fairs, imperial or royal warrants) and later on, with for instance dedicated exhibitions (such as Paul Poiret or Charles James honored at the Metropolitan Museum of Art), or in some cases by becoming the object of a strong cult following.{{Cite web |title=Brands & Culture. The 31st Marques Annual Conference |url=https://www.marques.org/Class46/default.asp?XID=BHA4533 |access-date=2018-02-02 |website=www.marques.org}}
Notable brands
The most notable long heritage brands currently or formerly part of Luvanis portfolio include the following:
= Dormant =
| class="wikitable"
! Brand ! Description ! Creation ! Became Dormant ! Status |
| Rose Bertin
|French fashion house |1774 |early 1800s |
| Finnigans
|British Trunk Maker |1830 |1988 | |
| Maquet
|French Leather and Stationery Maker |1841 |1993 | |
| Grenoville
|French perfume house |1879 |early 1970s | |
| Charles James
|British-American Couture House |1928 |1958 | |
| Maggy Rouff
|French fashion house |1929 |1965 | |
| Mainbocher
|French-American Couture House |1929 |1971 | |
| Herbert Levine
|American Shoe Maker |1948 |1975 |
= Reopened =
Notes and references
{{Reflist|2}}
Further reading
- Zanon, Johanna (2018). “Reawakening the ‘Sleeping Beauties’ of Haute Couture: The Case of Guy and Arnaud de Lummen,” in European Fashion: The Creation of a Global Industry, Regina Lee Blaszczyk and Véronique Pouillard eds., Manchester: Manchester University Press 2018.