Charvet, world's oldest shirt maker, has a new owner: Chanel

Chanel has designs on men — if not men’s wear, exactly. The French luxury brand announced on Thursday that it had acquired Charvet, the storied Place Vendôme maison known for its bespoke shirts, ties and pajamas. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

- VANESSA FRIEDMAN

“Now we have a name, Chanel, for women, and a name for men, Charvet,” Bruno Pavlovsky, the president of fashion at Chanel, said in a video interview. “Even if Chanel is about women, we see more men coming in,” he continued. “And even if Charvet is mostly about men, we see a lot of women going there to have shirts made. It’s up to the client — everyone is welcome. That’s the beauty and the secret of the approach.”

The acquisition reflects what Pavlovsky sees as a new gender-agnostic approach among its customers. Indeed, he said, it might even herald “the beginning of haute couture for men.”

Chanel has already put its money Rocky and Pedro Pascal as brand ambassadors, though the company does not have a dedicated men’s wear line — or, Pavlovsky said, any plans to create one. With the addition of Charvet, it has doubled down on the idea.