Do you notice the subtle “R” on that brooch? It stands for Revillon. Maison Revillon is a forgotten luxury brand that was once magnificent. Karl Lagerfeld began his career here. Let’s explore the rise and fall of this French luxury house.
Revillon Frères was founded in 1839 during the July Monarchy. However its origins as Maison Givelet go back to 1723 during the reign of Louis XIV. Initially a fur trading business, it evolved into a major fashion house until 1982. That’s when things became complicated.
In the 1840s Louis Victor Revillon established himself on Rue de Rivoli in Paris. He worked hard. He expanded to Regent Street in London in 1871. Then he opened a store on 5th Avenue in New York in 1880. The Maison Revillon began expanding worldwide.
Revillon received a gold medal at the Exposition Universelle. By the 1930s the Maison Revillon was a must-visit. It had 3,000 employees in its Parisian workshops. Its products were sold in 15 countries. At its peak Revillon was a complete couture house. It offered fashion leather goods perfumes jewelry cosmetics and eyewear.
Everything went well until 1982. The Belgian group Cora acquired the company. Cora was a hypermarket chain. The company became Cora-Revillon. Revillon was dismembered. This is ironic for a former fur specialist. Cora sold the perfumes including Caron and the Karl Lagerfeld brand to LT Piver. Yves Salomon took over fur and ready-to-wear.
In 2012 the last Maison Revillon boutique opened at 40 Avenue Montaigne. It focused on cosmetics and eyewear lines. Today Yves Salomon occupies 40 Avenue Montaigne.
Vintage tells a story. It is about finding treasures being curious and understanding their history. It is reliving those moments. It is remembering the past while accepting change.
Louis Victor opened his first Revillon store near Rue de Rivoli 180 years before that photo was taken. Maison Revillon was indeed a remarkable place to behold.