Incollect Magazine - Issue 4

Incollect Magazine 29 2023 Today, her great-grandson Jean-Yves Lanvin channels the same spirit of artistry and creativity, designing limited-edition sculptural furniture with rare and exquisite minerals, jewelry-like finishes, and striking profiles. But he did not set out to become a designer. Jean- Yves came to his creative calling after stints in investment banking with Lazard in New York and Solomon Brothers in London, and 10 years as a representative for Paris-based fine lighting manufacturer Maison Charles and for the French metalwork company Pouenat, which teams with designers to produce lighting and furniture and custom ornamental architectural pieces. Working with these two firms gave Jean-Yves a thorough knowledge of foundries, the casting process, and fine metalwork. A brief period as publisher of an avant-garde design magazine, “gorgeous but not especially lucrative” and as owner of a company that created beautifully designed radiators; each of these experiences brought him a step closer to fulfilling his creative destiny. Lanvin’s first piece, the Gemini Table, was designed as a one-off for his own home. He couldn’t find a coffee table with the look he wanted, but he had some ideas. Translating his vision into simple hand sketches, he brought his design to a foundry in Pietrasanta, Jeanne Lanvin’s bedroom, awash in the color known as “Lanvin Blue.” The designer was a canny businesswoman, purchasing her own dye factory so that she could protect her famed proprietary color. Mme. Lanvin’s private boudoir, or sitting room, with furnishings designed by Lanvin and Armand-Albert Rateau. The Gemini Table, Console and Sconce. Lanvin's first foray into furniture design, the Gemini Table began as a personal project for his home. Encouragement from friends led him to consider a wider audience, and additional pieces were designed.