History
Paris 1876… These were carefree days for the Parisians who flocked to the theatres, the Moulin Rouge, the new department stores and tree-lined boulevards. In Gai Paris, life was for living and enjoying… a time of légèreté. It was during these early years of the Belle Époque that Alphonse and Angèle Lancel opened a small pipe-making factory at 20, Passage des Petites Écuries.
1926: After specialising in articles for smokers, Lancel turned its attention to accessories for ladies as well as decorative objects. These new creations included the first handbags, made from tapir, sealskin and suede. At a time when the couture houses had yet to see the possibilities beyond simply “dresses”, Lancel was already imagining the accessories that would transform fashion.
1929: Lancel epitomised the Parisians’ newfound taste for shopping, with a dozen or so stores now open in the capital and other French cities. The inter-war years were a time of innovation for the brand, which branched out into tableware, travel items and any number of imaginative and original gifts. Parisian ladies adopted the ingenious “umbrella” bag, marvelled at the automatic lighter that “leaves gloves and hands spotlessly clean”, and fell in love with delightful evening bags whose flap concealed a mirror, drawstring purses and sophisticated powder compacts. Automobiles, trains and transatlantic liners stepped up the pace of travel: Lancel came to the rescue with its “Aviona” trunk. This was the year that Lancel moved to new premises at Place de l’Opéra in the heart of Paris. This new location would become a flagship store for the brand that so perfectly captured Parisian chic. Lancel appealed to the modern, emancipated, elegant woman. Mistinguett, Josephine Baker and Edith Piaf were all loyal patrons. And so Lancel confirmed its reputation as a truly modern brand.
1970’s: The brand expanded into international markets. In France, the parent company moved to the world’s most beautiful avenue, the Champs-Elysées. It focused on leather goods, and in 1984 the drawstring bag was born. Ingenious and original, it was inspired by the buckets the first firemen used to carry. Over three million have been sold. All over the world it is recognised as a symbol of Parisian elegance and imagination. It is also Lancel’s emblematic bag.
130 years later… and Lancel continues to celebrate the same carefree spirit, the same French légèreté of sheer elegance with a hint of frivolity. Lancel proudly asserts its history with two new creations that combine a modern style with authentic craftsmanship. Through the two “faces” of the brand, Laure Manaudou and Alice Taglioni, Lancel pays tribute to women with carefree interpretations of its classic designs. Each Lancel creation tells the story of the spirit that brought it to life: that of Paris, fashion and joie de vivre.
WHAT ABOUT FRENCH LÉGÈRETÉ?
The French Légèreté: some definition.
According to a dictionary definition, “Légèreté” is very close to le·ger·i·ty, the quickness or agility of mind or body, the gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble…
“Légèreté” is a deeply French word. It’s more than a definition; it’s an attitude.
Since the Middle-Age, it’s a mix of aristocratic distance and popular insolence… but the French Légèreté is far away from nostalgia. The French Légèreté is a very serious thing with a unique principle: to deal seriously with fugacious subjects and to keep a distance with too serious things. The French Légèreté is for the French what fantasy represents for the Italian, what phlegm represents for the British. The French Légèreté owns a unique strengh: to enhance the defaults of soul. French Légèreté isn’t a gift from birth, but from the authority of seduction. It’s not that innocent if the most elegant women were called the "Boulevard Lionesses"? The French Légèreté is more an attitude and a moving silhouette than a static image or a "total look" outfit. The French Légèreté is born in a city, Paris. The French Légèreté is a state of mind, deeply Parisian. You cannot learn the French Légèreté. The French Légèreté is an invisible wave that surrounds you.
The French Légèreté owns an unique strengh : to enhance the defaults of soul.
The Parisian women transform their little flaws in seduction weapons: moles are transformed in beauty spot, reddish lips are changed in love apple, generous butt changed in " alluring petals of corsets". French Légèreté is built on small but transcending details. Accessories are essential. Imagine the bags balancing around the wrist of Parisian women in a hurry…
The French Légèreté, art of the opposite.
French Légèreté is fuelled by the “air du temps” and doesn’t over-trust Fashion. Because fashion is made in Paris, Parisians don’t trust Fashion and its diktats. They follow their instinct, influenced by the “air du temps” and don’t hesitate to take risks. When men dreams of generous breast, Parisian women transform themselves in "garçonnes". When the world decides to throw its bras, the Parisian thicken their waist and pull their breast ahead like little princesses. A scarf tied around the waist or simply hair moving on their shoulders are often more elegant and appealing than the perfect outfit of women from Milan or N.Y.C.. Parisian woman is pragmatic; she looks for useful functionality often from one source and another. Because the unuseful can be essential. Parisian woman runs constantly, her bag follows her everywhere like a gypsy van. Paris is a non-stop party: Somme oysters, chocolate truffles, a glass of Champaign and life still goes on. French Légèreté slides upon time; Parisians are different but unique from the morning till the evening. So as your night should be as bright as your days. In a hurry to love, to flirt modestly, to make fun with serious matters. French Légèreté as an Art of escaping, Deauville and the Riviera for Parisian three days off.
French Légèreté: the man.
He embodies the true essence of Paris seen through a romantic and revisited “Arsène Lupin” character. He is able to improvise and make his own way. He is comfortable both in a luxury or a more popular and genuine environment. He is an inspiring modern dandy mixing a unique blend of new technologies -Internet, laptop computers- and everlasting signature products. Parisian style with the importance of accessories, perfection of cut and materials. Unpredictable and creative, he lives fast in a truly romantic way. He has his own opinion and a strong character.
LANCEL embodies the French Légèreté.
Since its foundation, LANCEL creates the accessories of the French Légèreté. LANCEL has always been an accessories brand, not a saddler, nor a trunksmaker. In the early XXth century, Angèle Lancel already sold accessories to the “Boulevard Lionesses”. The music-hall as the theater of life. When the French women began to emancipate, LANCEL has replaced umbrellas and endless gloves by usefull small bags full of trifles and anything. When the Parisian began to escape in Deauville or on the Riviera, LANCEL has replaced the big encumbering trunks by small soft, light and smart luggage. LANCEL is a women brand for women who seduce men. A relevant brand, voguing on the “ air du temps”. LANCEL woman embodies the French Légèreté, a passion-red lionness. Free, lover, in love. With many lifes and the bags to carry on.
LANCEL alphabet.
A as Air du Temps, Art Déco, Alice, Arsène Lupin
B as Boulevard, Baker
C as Charming, Chic, «Cabaret», Concorde, Charleston
D as Deauville
E as Early Morging, Energy, Elsa
F as French, Folie, Fantasy, Femininity, Follies
G as Ganache, Generosity, Gift
H as Hedonism
I as Impertinence, Indulgence, « Inhabited »
J as Joy, jolie
K as Kanaille, Kiki de Montparnasse
L as Lightness, Lioness, Laught, Leather, Liberty, Laure
M as Me, Mischievous, Move, Montmartre and Music-Hall
N as Night, Natural
O as Opéra, Oh la la, Onirism, Opposite
P as Parisian, Pont Neuf
Q as Quais
R as Resort
S as Sensuality, Senses, Stars, Swing
T as Tradition, Theater, Taglioni, Travel, Truth
U as Unique
V as Varnished
W as Wolfgang (Lancel woman’s golden retriever)
Z as Zazie, Zoo (of Vincennes)
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