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J. Mendel
French-American luxury fashion house From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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J. Mendel is a French-American luxury fashion house. J. Mendel was founded in St. Petersburg and was originally a furrier. Today, the company produces evening wear, outerwear and accessories.
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History
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In 1870, Joseph Mendel founded a J. Mendel, an eponymous fur atelier in St. Petersburg. Mendel reportedly was a furrier to the house of Romanov.[1] After the Russian Revolution, Joseph Mendel's son Jacques Mendel emigrated to Paris, bringing the brand with him.[1]
The company continued to produce fur outerwear in Paris under the leadership of Jacques Mendel and then later, through his son, also known as Jacques Mendel.[1] In 1981, Gilles Mendel, a fifth-generation descendent of the company's founder, opened an atelier in New York. Gilles Mendel became the company's lead designer and would extend the brand beyond outerwear.[2][3]
In the 1990s, when growing numbers of American consumers turned against wearing furs, Mendel began designing dresses. The gowns soon became popular, leading Mendel to launch a clothing collection.[4][5]
Fashion lines
In 2002, the company launched a ready-to-wear line.[1] The company exhibited its collections at New York Fashion week, releasing shows for Spring,[6] Bridal,[7] Resort,[8] Pre-Fall[9] and Fall collections.[10][11][12] The company became known for their evening wear and for clothing that utilized fur accents.[13]
In 2016, J. Mendel launched a couture collection.[14][15] The 2016 couture collection is the only couture collection the house has released to date. The company continues to specialize in lightweight fur accessories and evening wear.[16][17]
Mendel's evening wear designs have been worn by celebrities at key occasions.[18] Taylor Swift has worn J. Mendel at the Time 100 and Met Galas[19][20] and Melania Trump appeared in J. Mendel for official functions as First Lady of the United States.[21][22] In 2015, Actress Bridget Moynahan wore custom J. Mendel for her wedding.[23]
Ownership
In 2010, a controlling interest in the company was purchased by The Gores Group.[24] In 2011, the company closed their Chicago flagship store.[25] In 2013, Gores was looking for an additional partner in the company.[26] In 2015, a majority stake was sold to Stallion, Inc.[27][28] In 2018, J. Mendel was under six different lawsuits for unpaid bills, relating to unpaid office space, advertising and materials.[29][30] In June, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection in bankruptcy court.[31] In December 2018, Dennis Basso and Stallion Inc. acquired a majority stake in the business.[32] After the company's bankruptcy, Gilles Mendel no longer is involved in the company's business dealings, but continues to support the label creatively.[33]
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References
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