Vionnet invented the bias cut — then a century of revivals ended in liquidation

Madeleine Vionnet opened the House of Vionnet in 1912, revolutionizing fashion with the bias cut and fingerprinted labels to authenticate her designs. By the 1920s, Vionnet was the first French couture house to open a New York subsidiary. The house showed its farewell collection on 2 August 1939 and closed at the start of World War II. Over 12,000 of Vionnet's designs now sit in the Musée de la Mode in Paris.

The label was revived in 1988 by the Lummen family, focusing on accessories and perfume. In July 2006, CEO Arnaud de Lummen relaunched ready-to-wear — the first Vionnet clothing in 67 years. The brand changed hands twice more: Matteo Marzotto acquired it in 2009, and Goga Ashkenazi took majority control in 2012. Hussein Chalayan was hired as creative director in 2014. None of these revivals produced a sustainable business.

In October 2018, the company announced a voluntary liquidation. The house that dressed the most elegant women of the 1920s and 1930s had been revived three times, owned by four different groups, and each time failed to recapture its original magic. In April 2023, ChimHaeres (a joint venture of Chimera Abu Dhabi and Haeres Capital) acquired the brand — yet another new owner for a label whose glory was a century old.