J. Mendel

J. Mendel is a French-American luxury fashion house. J. Mendel was founded in St. Petersburg and was originally a furrier. Today, the company produces evening wear, outerwear and accessories.

In 1870, Joseph Mendel founded a J. Mendel, an eponymous fur atelier in St. Petersburg. Mendel reportedly was a furrier to the house of Romanov.^[1] After the Russian Revolution, Joseph Mendel's son Jacques Mendel emigrated to Paris, bringing the brand with him.^[1]

The company continued to produce fur outerwear in Paris under the leadership of Jacques Mendel and then later, through his son, also known as Jacques Mendel.^[1] In 1981, Gilles Mendel, a fifth-generation descendent of the company's founder, opened an atelier in New York. Gilles Mendel became the company's lead designer and would extend the brand beyond outerwear.^[2][3]

In the 1990s, when growing numbers of American consumers turned against wearing furs, Mendel began designing dresses. The gowns soon became popular, leading Mendel to launch a clothing collection.^[4][5]

In 2002, the company launched a ready-to-wear line.^[1] The company exhibited its collections at New York Fashion week, releasing shows for Spring,^[6] Bridal,^[7] Resort,^[8] Pre-Fall^[9] and Fall collections.^[10][11][12] The company became known for their evening wear and for clothing that utilized fur accents.^[13]

In 2016, J. Mendel launched a couture collection.^[14][15] The 2016 couture collection is the only couture collection the house has released to date. The company continues to specialize in lightweight fur accessories and evening wear.^[16][17]

Mendel's evening wear designs have been worn by celebrities at key occasions.^[18] Taylor Swift has worn J. Mendel at the Time 100 and Met Galas^[19][20] and Melania Trump appeared in J. Mendel for official functions as First Lady of the United States.^[21][22] In 2015, Actress Bridget Moynahan wore custom J. Mendel for her wedding.^[23]

In 2010, a controlling interest in the company was purchased by The Gores Group.^[24] In 2011, the company closed their Chicago flagship store.^[25] In 2013, Gores was looking for an additional partner in the company.^[26] In 2015, a majority stake was sold to Stallion, Inc.^[27][28] In 2018, J. Mendel was under six different lawsuits for unpaid bills, relating to unpaid office space, advertising and materials.^[29][30] In June, the company filed for Chapter 11 protection in bankruptcy court.^[31] In December 2018, Dennis Basso and Stallion Inc. acquired a majority stake in the business.^[32] After the company's bankruptcy, Gilles Mendel no longer is involved in the company's business dealings, but continues to support the label creatively.^[33]