Which fashion icon designed the 1920s “Robes de Style” with wide, bouffant skirts?

Jeanne Lanvin designed the 1920s “Robes de Style,” known for their wide, bouffant skirts.

Lanvin founded her fashion house in Paris in 1889 and initially became known for creating clothing for her daughter, Marguerite. The business expanded into womenswear, menswear, children’s clothing, perfumes, and home furnishings, making Lanvin one of the earliest designers to build a broad lifestyle brand.

Her Robes de Style became a signature in the 1920s. While the decade is often associated with the narrow, tubular flapper silhouette, Lanvin’s dresses used rounded hips, full skirts, and a romantic historical mood. Their shape offered an alternative to the more streamlined styles associated with designers such as Paul Poiret and Gabrielle Chanel.

The phrase is sometimes translated simply as “style dresses,” but “Robes de Style” is the established fashion term. Lanvin’s use of delicate embroidery, color, and fine construction helped distinguish the designs from casual mass-market dresses.