Chanel finalized its purchase of Charvet, bringing the oldest French shirtmaker into its corporate portfolio.
The idea for the acquisition emerged after a runway collaboration. Matthieu Blazy opened a creative dialogue with Charvet for his first Spring/Summer 2026 ready-to-wear collection. What began as a runway partnership escalated into a permanent integration designed to secure the bespoke label's long-term future.
Charvet will retain full creative independence. The company keeps its sole manufacturing workshop running in Saint-Gaultier, located in the Indre region. Jean-Claude Colban, Managing Director of Charvet, closed the sale alongside his sister Anne-Marie. Colban frames the merger as a natural alignment between two Parisian operations dedicated to strict quality standards and preserving French craft.
Those manufacturing traditions date to 1838. Charvet built a global business cutting bespoke suits, shirts, and accessories. The historical client ledger logs orders from Marcel Proust, Jean Cocteau, Charles Baudelaire, and Winston Churchill.
The purchase closes a century-old historical loop for Chanel. Boy Capel, who played a major role in Gabrielle Chanel’s life, was a regular Charvet customer. Chanel herself was also a client. Bruno Pavlovsky, President of Fashion Activities at Chanel, pointed to this personal tie. “This connection thus extends a symbolic link,” Pavlovsky said, “while affirming a shared commitment to the passing down of skills, the precision of craftsmanship, and the unique ability of great houses to bring heritage into dialogue with contemporary creation.”
