Maison Michel

founded by

Auguste Michel

belongs to

Chanel

about

Known for its sophisticated yet imaginative collections, La Maison Michel is a leading fashion house when it comes to millinery. In 1980, the brand started creating its signature, wide-brimmed straw hats especially for the haute couture and pret-a-porter collections of fashion houses such as Chanel, Givenchy, Nina Ricci, Laroche, Lanvin and Christian Lacroix. 1996 saw Chanel take over the brand. In 2005, La Maison Michel�s expertise came into even more widespread demand as The Lido, Disneyland, Resort Paris, theatre, cinema and opera all consulted the company on matters of style. In 2006, the first Maison Michel Paris distribution was launched.

history

In 1936, hatmaker Auguste Michel started his company, Maison Michel, at 65 rue Sainte Anne in Paris. Talented milliners Pierre Debard and his wife Claudine arrived in 1968 to take over Maison Michel. Debard was to make his name when, in 1975, he re-introduced old straw sewing machines called Weissmanns, which enable large hats with invisible stitching to be created. Pierre Cardin and then Yves Saint Laurent became big fans of the huge, wide-brimmed hats. Debard died in 2003, leaving behind him a rich fashion legacy. Today Laetitia Crahay is responsible for artistic direction at Maison Michel, bringing a funky yet refined style to the company.