Lancel

Book excerpt: The story of luxury fashion house Lancel, from its founders and innovative designs to its contemporary collections and famous collaborations. Lancel, the iconic French fashion house renowned for establishing the handbag as a womenswear essential and inventing the covetable Bucket bag, has set trends throughout its history, collaborating with celebrities from Josephine Baker to Brigitte Bardot and great designers from Patrick Demarchelier to Viviane Sassen. Marking its 140th anniversary, this volume—featuring original art from Martin Parr, Marjane Satrapi, and Jean-Philippe Delhomme— uncovers the rich history of Lancel and reveals the secrets behind the brand’s continued success. Founded in 1876 and originally specializing in smoking accessories, Lancel soon expanded its product line and its name became synonymous with incomparable savoir faire and sophistication—from toiletry cases to Bambino (the smallest radio set in the world), or from travel luggage to the unique and inventive Umbrella bag. Combining luxury with functionality, its aim has always been to simplify life while making it more beautiful, an ideal that the house continues to perpetuate today.