The house has acquired historic French shirtmaker Charvet, deepening a relationship that dates back to Gabrielle Chanel and preserving one of France's most storied craft traditions.

On July 2, Chanel announced the acquisition of Charvet, France's oldest shirtmaker, founded in 1838. Financial terms were not disclosed.&nbsp;The move formalizes a relationship rooted in the house's history, tracing back to Arthur "Boy" Capel, Gabrielle Chanel's longtime partner and a devoted Charvet client. Through his shirts, Chanel found inspiration in menswear, reworking classic tailoring into signatures that would come to define her vision, from tweed jackets to Breton stripes.
The partnership had already quietly begun under creative director Matthieu Blazy. During his Spring/Summer 2026 debut for Chanel, shirts created with the Charvet atelier featured a discreet label reading, "Chanel, tissu et technique Charvet." That collaboration has now grown into a long-term commitment to preserving one of France's most respected shirtmaking houses while allowing it to maintain its creative independence.

Founded in 1838, Charvet remains the oldest shirtmaker in France. Led today by siblings Jean-Claude and Anne-Marie Colban, the house continues to operate from its single workshop in Saint-Gaultier in the Loire Valley, producing bespoke shirts, ties, and silk accessories. Over the years, its clientele has included Charles Baudelaire, Marcel Proust, Winston Churchill, Jean Cocteau, and Gabrielle Chanel herself.
"For us, this is the meeting of two historic Parisian houses," said Jean-Claude Colban. "We share the same commitment to craftsmanship, transmitting savoir-faire, and attention to detail. It's a partnership that respects Charvet's identity while securing its future."

The acquisition also fits within Chanel's longstanding strategy of protecting exceptional craftsmanship through its network of Métiers d'Art ateliers, which includes specialists such as Lesage and Massaro. It comes at a moment when Charvet's work has gained fresh visibility, with Nicole Kidman wearing one of its white shirts during Blazy's debut collection and Jacob Elordi becoming the first man to wear the design off the runway while promoting Wuthering Heights earlier this year.

Sometimes, the simplest piece in a wardrobe carries the biggest story. For Chanel, that story now includes the future of one of France's oldest shirtmakers.

Getty Images.

Chanel Acquires France's Oldest Shirtmaker Charvet

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Chanel Acquires France's Oldest Shirtmaker Charvet

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