 | |
 J. Mendel, SS 2014 runway | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1870 in St. Petersburg, Russia |
| Founder | Joseph Mendel |
Key people | Gilles Mendel |
| Products | Furs, outerwear, evening wear |
| Services | Fashion retail |
| Owner | Mendel family, Stallion Inc. |
| Website | jmendel.com |
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.
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]
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]
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]
