At last, news that Lanvin has appointed an official artistic director to head up their womenswear following Alber Elbaz's shocking departure last year after a 14-year tenure at the house. It is firstly, a distinctly unusual appointment not least beause Jarrar is a woman- the lack of female creative directors at fashion houses is remarkable, but the number gets even slimmer when looking at French ateliers- and is a nod to Lanvin's founder Jeanne Lanvin more than a century ago. Whilst Coco Chanel is often cited as the first feminist designer, un-plucking the corset and introducing slacks and flats to modern women's wardrobe, Jeanne, who pre-dated Chanel by 25 years deserves much the same reputation.
