Luvanis

Luvanis S.A. is a privately held Luxembourg investment company focused on the incubation and revival of long-dormant luxury brands. Its approach is built around identifying historic houses whose names, trademarks, archives, designs, or reputations retain commercial value despite the original businesses having ceased trading or fallen inactive. Luvanis has described these assets as “sleeping beauties”: brands with substantial heritage and recognition that may be capable of being repositioned for a contemporary market. The company was founded in 2009 by Guy de Lummen and his son Arnaud de Lummen, following their earlier work on the reintroduction of the French couture house Vionnet. In 2007, the father-and-son team brought back a Vionnet clothing line for the first time since 1939, with Sophia Kokosalaki serving as creative director and Barneys New York acting as exclusive distributor. The project was subsequently sold to Italian entrepreneurs Matteo Marzotto and Gianni Castiglioni. This experience helped establish the operating model that later became associated with Luvanis: combine historical brand equity with a modern creative proposition, then work with a strategic buyer, investor, or operating partner capable of developing the house at scale. Luvanis has applied this model across fashion, trunks, leather goods, and couture. Among the best-known examples is Moynat, the French luxury trunk maker whose rights Luvanis acquired in 2009. The company helped create the conditions for Groupe Arnault, the investment vehicle associated with Bernard Arnault, to acquire the brand. Moynat subsequently reopened in Paris in December 2011. Luvanis also worked on the revival of Au Départ, another French trunk maker, and Belber, an American leather-goods company. Belber was later sold to the former owners of Alain Figaret and Delvaux, while Au Départ was transferred to Asian investors and relaunched on Paris’s rue Saint-Honoré in 2019. The company has also pursued dormant couture names with strong museum, archival, or collector relevance. Following the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2014 exhibition devoted to Charles James, Luvanis entered into an arrangement with the designer’s heirs in June 2016 concerning the house’s trademarks and supported the preparation of a possible revival. A new Charles James visual identity was presented in September 2018, after which the consolidated brand rights were offered for sale. Luvanis likewise placed the Paul Poiret house and its archives on the market in 2014. Shinsegae International acquired the assets in August 2015; the transaction was formally confirmed in January 2018, and the label was subsequently relaunched after roughly nine decades of inactivity. Luvanis’s role has not been limited to acquiring and selling intellectual property. It has used exhibitions, heritage research, archives, and cultural partnerships to rebuild attention around historic names. The company was lead corporate sponsor of a Mainbocher exhibition at the Chicago History Museum from October 2016 to August 2017. The exhibition attracted more than 100,000 visitors, and Luvanis announced plans to revive the couture house afterward. Rather than operating as a conventional fashion manufacturer or retailer, Luvanis functions primarily as a brand incubator, rights holder, and transaction platform. Its portfolio has included former luxury houses in apparel, shoes, leather goods, jewelry, fragrance, and champagne. Selection is generally linked to a combination of historical prestige, past commercial success, cultural recognition, archival substance, and evidence of continuing interest among collectors or fashion institutions. The company’s central commercial challenge is to preserve the distinctiveness and credibility of a historic name while adapting its products, distribution, identity, and ownership structure to present-day luxury markets.

Luvanis emerged from the de Lummen family’s experience reviving Vionnet. In 2007, Guy de Lummen and Arnaud de Lummen introduced a new Vionnet clothing line, the first associated with the house since 1939. The project paired the historic name with contemporary creative direction from Sophia Kokosalaki and distribution through Barneys New York. After the initial relaunch, the Vionnet business was sold to Matteo Marzotto, formerly associated with Valentino, and Gianni Castiglioni, the chief executive and owner of Marni. The Vionnet project became the foundation for Luvanis, which the father-and-son team founded in 2009. Luvanis concentrated on brands that were no longer active but retained valuable trademarks, archives, historical associations, and public recognition. Its model was to acquire or consolidate rights, develop a credible revival concept, and then identify a strategic buyer, investor, or operating partner. One of the company’s early projects involved Moynat, a French maker of luxury trunks. Luvanis acquired rights to the name in 2009 and helped lead Groupe Arnault toward the acquisition of the brand. Moynat reopened in Paris in December 2011. Luvanis also worked on Au Départ and Belber. Au Départ was eventually transferred to Asian investors and returned to the market through a Paris relaunch in 2019. Belber, an American leather-goods company, was sold to the former owners of Alain Figaret and Delvaux. Luvanis expanded its activities into historically important couture names. Paul Poiret, whose house had been inactive for approximately ninety years, was placed on the market in 2014 along with its archives. Shinsegae International acquired the assets in August 2015, and the deal was formally confirmed in January 2018. The brand was then prepared for a renewed commercial life. The company’s work with Charles James followed the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2014 exhibition dedicated to the American designer. In June 2016, Luvanis joined with Charles James’s heirs around trademark rights and the prospect of reviving the couture house. A new visual identity was shown in September 2018, after which the consolidated rights were offered for sale. Luvanis also used cultural programming to build interest in dormant names. It served as lead corporate sponsor of a Mainbocher exhibition at the Chicago History Museum, held from October 2016 through August 2017. The exhibition received more than 100,000 visitors, and the company announced plans to revive the Mainbocher house afterward. Across these projects, Luvanis has operated less like a conventional fashion label and more like a specialist brand-rights investor and incubator. Its portfolio has encompassed fashion, footwear, leather goods, jewelry, perfume, champagne, trunks, and related luxury categories. The company’s thesis is that a historic house can be commercially valuable even after decades of inactivity when its name is supported by past prestige, archival material, museum recognition, collector interest, or other evidence of cultural relevance. Luvanis seeks to preserve that heritage while adapting the brand to current luxury-industry structures and consumers.

• 2019

  Au Départ relaunches in Paris

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  Au Départ returned to the market through a relaunch on rue Saint-Honoré after its rights were transferred to Asian investors.

• 2018

  Charles James identity is updated

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  A new visual identity for Charles James was revealed, followed by an offering of the consolidated rights for sale.

• 2016

  Charles James rights partnership begins

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  Luvanis partnered with Charles James’s heirs around trademark rights and a potential house revival.

• 2014

  Paul Poiret assets enter the market

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  Luvanis offered the Paul Poiret house and its archives for sale.

• 2011

  Moynat reopens in Paris

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  Moynat returned to retail activity with a Paris reopening in December.

• 2009

  Luvanis is founded

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  Guy and Arnaud de Lummen founded Luvanis as a specialist company for dormant luxury-brand assets and revival projects.

• 2009

  Moynat rights are acquired

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  Luvanis acquired rights to the historic French trunk maker Moynat and helped bring the brand to Groupe Arnault.

• 2007

  Vionnet clothing line is reintroduced

  [1]Luvanisen.wikipedia.org

  Guy and Arnaud de Lummen relaunched a Vionnet clothing line with Sophia Kokosalaki as creative director and Barneys New York as exclusive distributor.

A specialist investment and incubation platform for reawakening historically significant but dormant luxury brands and connecting them with operating partners, investors, or strategic acquirers.

• Luxury trunks and leather goods · 2011

  Moynat

  Moynat is a historic French trunk-making name whose rights Luvanis acquired in 2009. Luvanis helped position the brand for acquisition by Groupe Arnault, after which Moynat reopened in Paris in December 2011. The project illustrates Luvanis’s core model: identify a dormant luxury name, secure or consolidate its rights, and prepare it for a new owner and operating structure.

• Luxury trunks and travel goods · 2019

  Au Départ

  Au Départ is a French trunk maker revived through Luvanis’s dormant-brand strategy. The rights were transferred to Asian investors, and the house returned to commercial activity with a relaunch on Paris’s rue Saint-Honoré in 2019.

• Leather goods

  Belber

  Belber is an American leather-goods company that formed part of Luvanis’s revival portfolio. The brand was later sold to the former owners of Alain Figaret and Delvaux, demonstrating the company’s practice of developing dormant assets before transferring them to new ownership.

• Couture and fashion

  Paul Poiret

  Paul Poiret is the historic Paris couture house associated with designer Paul Poiret. Luvanis placed the house and its archives on the market in 2014. Shinsegae International acquired them in 2015, with the transaction confirmed in 2018, enabling a revival after approximately ninety years of dormancy.

• Couture

  Charles James

  Charles James is an American couture name whose historical profile was reinforced by a 2014 Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition. Luvanis worked with the designer’s heirs on trademark rights from 2016, unveiled a new visual identity in 2018, and subsequently offered the consolidated brand rights for sale.

• Couture and fashion

  Mainbocher

  Mainbocher is a historic American couture house associated with designer Mainbocher. Luvanis sponsored a major exhibition at the Chicago History Museum from October 2016 to August 2017 and announced plans to revive the house after the exhibition.

• Fashion and couture · 2007

  Vionnet

  Vionnet was the de Lummen family’s pre-Luvanis revival project. In 2007, a new clothing line was introduced after the house had been inactive since 1939, with Sophia Kokosalaki directing the creative proposition and Barneys New York distributing it exclusively. The project was later sold to Matteo Marzotto and Gianni Castiglioni.

• 2018Charles James visual identity

  International

  Luvanis introduced a new visual identity for Charles James as part of efforts to prepare the couture name for a possible commercial revival.

  Outcome. The consolidated Charles James brand rights were subsequently put up for sale.

  Source
• 2016Mainbocher exhibition sponsorship

  United States

  Luvanis served as lead corporate sponsor of the Mainbocher exhibition at the Chicago History Museum, using a cultural presentation to restore attention to a dormant couture name.

  Outcome. The exhibition ran from October 2016 to August 2017 and attracted more than 100,000 visitors. Luvanis subsequently announced plans to revive Mainbocher.

  Source

• 2019

  Support the Au Départ relaunchProduct launch

  Background

  Au Départ was a historic trunk maker whose rights had been transferred to Asian investors.

  Action taken

  Luvanis supported the transition and relaunch of Au Départ on rue Saint-Honoré in Paris.

  Aftermath

  The trunk maker returned to the luxury market in 2019.

  Source

• 2016

  Partner with Charles James heirsStrategy

  Background

  Interest in Charles James increased following the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2014 exhibition devoted to the designer.

  Action taken

  Luvanis joined with the designer’s heirs concerning trademark rights and the possible revival of the couture house.

  Aftermath

  A new visual identity was revealed in 2018, after which the consolidated rights were offered for sale.

  Source

• 2014

  Offer Paul Poiret house and archives for saleM&A

  Background

  Luvanis controlled the Paul Poiret house and archival assets and sought a strategic owner able to fund and operate a revival.

  Action taken

  The company put the brand and archives on the market.

  Aftermath

  Shinsegae International acquired the assets in August 2015; the transaction was formally confirmed in January 2018.

  Source

• 2009

  Acquire Moynat rights and facilitate a strategic transferM&A

  Background

  Moynat was a dormant French luxury trunk maker with historical brand value but no active large-scale operating business.

  Action taken

  Luvanis acquired rights to Moynat and helped drive Groupe Arnault toward acquiring the brand.

  Aftermath

  Moynat reopened in Paris in December 2011.

  Source

1. 1Luvanisen.wikipedia.org