Jeanne Lanvin opened a hat shop in Paris at the age of 22 in 1889.  After a few years she founded her fashion house and namesake in 1893.  The brand started with clothing and eventually made its way into jewelry.  The business was successful winning awards in 1915 in San Francisco and the Exposition of Art and Technology in Modern Life in Paris in 1925. She branched into perfumes in 1924 and into men's clothing in 1926.  Lanvin passed away in 1946 and her daughter Marie-Blanche took control. until 1950 when Bernard Lanvin ran the company.  Bernard introduced costume jewelry in the 1960's and began influencing jewelry fashion designs since.  He ran the company until 1996 until it changed hands.