Who's Who in Fashion: Gilles Mendel

Founded in 1870 in Paris by Joseph Breitman, a furrier to the Russian aristocracy, J. Mendel is one of the rare luxury brands to remain family-owned. Today, the fifth-generation Gilles Mendel acts as CEO and head designer, and the label is now based in New York. In addition to fur, the brand now encompasses a full women’s ready-to-wear line, which originated practically by accident; to detract PETA protesters from staking out his first flagship boutique on Madison Avenue in the mid-nineties, Mendel created simple sheaths to display in the store windows at night. Collections now run the spectrum from luscious chiffon dresses and sleek canvas trenches to tweed suiting and red-carpet gowns.

Status : Established

Clients include:  Kate Hudson, Demi Moore, Ivanka Trump, Dr. Lisa Airan

Other Product Lines:  Handbags

Collaborations:  Kara Ross (2007)

Owned By:  Gilles Mendel

Address:

463 Seventh Ave.
New York, New York 10018
212-967-6260

Where To Buy:  J. Mendel, Bergdorf Goodman

Related Websites:  J. Mendel (Official)

Style.com: J. Mendel (Media)

...The Collection

.Designed By:  Gilles Mendel, 1981 - Present

Shows In:  New York

Collection Types: RTW--Ready To Wear

Similar Clientele: Julien Macdonald, Dennis Basso

Styles & Tags: American, Furriers, High Society

Designers What's Been Said

“I always advocated using fur as a material, deconstructing it to show it in fresh, modern ways. Today, even elegant dressing is all about ease. And since I regard luxury as second nature, I've set no limits in my search for fabrics--or my search for beauty.”—Gilles Mendel InStyle.com “Whether Gilles Mendel is designing a sable coat or overseeing the decoration of his New York town house, his sensibility is the same: this designer for J. Mendel prefers tailored lines.”