About

In 1976 Marcel Lassance opened his first store in Saint-Germain-des-Prés.

I see the new man with fabrics that have always existed. Cashmere, tweed, linen, and cotton with hints of today. The only fashion that interests me is the one that doesn't go out of style.

Very quickly, he established himself in Paris as a leader in men's fashion. Parisian intelligentsia, to which he first and foremost owes his success, immediately adopted him. Writers, artists, and politicians, all recognized themselves in this new style, to which they continue to be faithful today.

Men's fashion at the time seemed to be stuck between the three-piece suit of the past generation and the worn-out jeans of the new one. Marcel Lassance defined a new relaxed elegance, executed through maintaining the highest standards in the matters of fabric quality and know-how all while freeing us from established codes.

Marcel Lassance revisits the classics by reworking the structures, the shapes, the materials, and the colors.

Structure and Shapes

He breaks the rigidity of suits by deconstructing the jackets for enhanced comfort and ease, allowing the body to move freely. Gone are the linings that impede natural reflexes! Out large shoulder pads and other shape-stiffening prostheses!

This doesn't mean the interior finishing suffers though. On the contrary, it is carried out with uncompromising precision. The jacket is as soft as a jumper but the shape remains decidedly stylized.

Materials

Marcel Lassance's choice of exclusive fabrics reveals environmental concerns ahead of time. He only uses noble and natural fibers like wool, cotton, or linen. These materials satisfy his obsession with comfort. To give them an even softer feel, he goes as far as to have his creations washed once they are finished to give them that already worn feeling, which characterizes the sober and unaffected elegance that is his trademark.

Colors

Marcel Lassance widens the color palette used in men's fashion and along with it disrupts a number of fixed ideas such as pink is not only for women.

There are thousands of shades. You just have to take the time to find the ones that are most virile.

He has thus designed bronze-green blazers, purple jumpers, and even dared a duffle coat in cherry color.

What we owe to him in a Man's wardrobe

The unstructured jacket, the duffle coat, the polo, in Egyptian cotton or Merino, in all colors, both long and short sleeves. Marcel Lassance is the first to divert its use away from its sporty tradition. Lambswool and cashmere jumpers in a thousand colors.

Today

Marcel Lassance continues to develop his own line for SHIPS LTD. with as much passion as ever.

Dates

1971

Fabric designer.

1973

The first boutique in Paris brings him popularity with those in show business.

1976

He opens a bigger store in Saint-Germain-des-Prés and imposes his label on all of Paris.

1978

Fashion show at Club des Créateurs.

1979

Exhibition at Designers Collective in New York, opening the door to the biggest stores in the United States. Macy's, Saks, Barney's, and Neiman Marcus.

1981

Publicist Jacques Séguéla asks him to dress François Mittérand for his presidential campaign in a way that he incarnates "the silent force".

1982

Beginning of a close collaboration with numerous film directors such as Bob Swaim, Claude Miller, Claude Zidi, Claude Chabrol, Claude Lelouch, Etienne Chatiliez, Roger Hanin, Jacques Doillon, Jacques Rouffio, Jean Charles Tacchela, Costa-Gavras, etc.

1983

The signing of the first licenses in Japan, where the Lassance style elicits an incredible response.

1986

Marcel Lassance works with Swedish car manufacturer Saab to create an exclusive SAAB 900 TURBO 16S convertible that will be shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 1987.

1991

The opening of a Marcel Lassance store in Tokyo.

1992-2009

Marcel Lassance follows the development of his own line in France and Japan.

2010

At the request of Marie France and Bernard Cohen in June 2010, he accepted to take on the artistic direction of the men's line at MERCI, the latest newcomer in Parisian concept stores.