Retro Lanvin Necklace

You are likely to find exactly the retro lanvin necklace you’re looking for on 1stDibs, as there is a broad range for sale. Each design created in this style — which was crafted with great care and often made from Gilt Metal, Silver and Base Metal — can elevate any look. You’re likely to find the perfect retro lanvin necklace among the distinctive items we have available, which includes versions made as long ago as the 20th Century as well as those produced as recently as the 20th Century. When shopping for a retro lanvin necklace, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for unisex or men today than there are for women.

The price for a retro lanvin necklace starts at $141 and tops out at $3,800 with these necklaces, on average, selling for $700.

The career of Jeanne Lanvin (1867–1946) and her eponymous brand began with a millinery apprenticeship in the late 19th century. Today, Lanvin Paris is a globally revered company and is among the oldest French fashion houses still in existence. It is renowned for its exquisite and sought-after vintage evening dresses, shoes, skirts and other garments and accessories and for having dressed such high-profile celebrities as Meryl Streep, Natalie Portman, Kim Kardashian and Sienna Miller.

In 1889, when her apprenticeship came to an end, the young French designer Jeanne Lanvin opened a custom hat shop on the rue Boissy d’Anglas in Paris. Four years later, she moved her business into a much more prominent space on the rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, one of the world’s most famous luxury fashion districts.

The new Maison Lanvin was big enough to display the pieces she would design for her daughter, Marguerite, who was born in 1897. The relationship between Lanvin and her daughter would be at the core of the brand, with a 1907 photograph of Jeanne and Marguerite in matching outfits inspiring the fashion house’s enduring logo.

In 1908, Lanvin launched a line of children’s clothing, one of the first such moves in high-end fashion. When mothers came in to buy the clothes, they often asked for similar designs for themselves.

Lanvin decided to introduce a women’s wear line with pieces that had a youthful femininity. This would grow to encompass everyday clothing, dresses, coats, lingerie and furs, as well as menswear, perfume and household items. Once she became a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Couture (Parisian Fashion Council) in 1909, her title officially switched from milliner to designer.

Along with her stylish designs, Lanvin identified the importance of brand identity through fabric colors, opening a dye factory in Nanterre, France. There the distinctive “Lanvin blue” was produced, so even if her designs were copied, the colors could never be exactly reproduced.

After Jeanne Lanvin's death, her daughter, Marguerite Marie-Blanche de Polignac, took over and a series of talented artistic directors would propel the brand through the trends of the 20th century, including Jules François Crahay, Dominique Morlotti, Alber Elbaz and, most recently, Bruno Sialelli. In 2018, Lanvin was acquired by the Fosun Fashion Group, which is now focused on celebrating Lanvin’s heritage while pushing it into a new chapter.

Find vintage Lanvin Paris clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.

We are fortunate to know much of the world’s long and dazzling history of necklaces, as this type of jewelry was so treasured that it was frequently buried with its owners. Today, Van Cleef necklaces, Tiffany necklaces and Cartier necklaces are some of the most popularly searched designer necklaces on 1stDibs.

Lapis lazuli beads adorned necklaces unearthed from the royal graves at the ancient Iraqi civilization of Sumer, while the excavation of King Tut’s burial chamber revealed a sense of style that led to a frenzy of Art Deco designs, with artisans of the 1920s seeking to emulate the elegant work crafted by Ancient Egypt’s goldsmiths and jewelry makers. 

In ancient times, pendant necklaces worn by royalty and nobles conferred wealth and prestige. Today, wearing jewelry is about personal expression: Luxury diamond necklaces exude confidence and can symbolize the celebratory nature of a deep romantic relationship, while paper-clip chain-link necklaces designed by the likes of goldsmith Faye Kim are firmly planted in the past as well as the present. Kim works exclusively with eco-friendly gold, and these fashionable, fun accessories owe to the design of 19th-century watch fobs. 

For some, necklaces are thought of as being a solely feminine piece, but this widely loved accessory has been gender-neutral for eons. In fact, just as women rarely took to wearing a single necklace during the Renaissance, men of the era layered chains and valuable pendants atop their bejeweled clothing. In modern times, the free-spirited hippie and counterculture movements of the 1960s saw costume-jewelry designers celebrating self-expression through colorful multistrand necklaces and no shortage of beads, which were worn by anyone and everyone. 

Even after all of these years, the necklace remains an irrefutable staple of any complete outfit. Although new trends in jewelry are constantly emerging, the glamour and beauty of the past continue to inform modern styles and designs. In a way, the cyclical history of the necklace differs little from its familiar looped form: The celebrated French jewelry house Van Cleef & Arpels found much inspiration in King Tut, and, now, their Alhambra collection is a go-to for modern royals. Vintage David Webb necklaces — whose work landed him on the cover of Vogue in 1950, two years after opening his Manhattan shop — were likely inspired by the ornamental styles of ancient Greece, Mesopotamia and Egypt. 

On 1stDibs, browse top designers like Dior, Chanel and Bulgari, or shop by your favorite style, from eye-catching choker necklaces to understated links to pearl necklaces and more.