The French fashion house supports women in Africa who are HIV positive by enlisting their help in creating 4 limited edition dolls.

Women in Swaziland, who are HIV positive, have been employed by Lanvin to hand stitch and embroider 4 fabric dolls. The dolls are due to go on sale in November to coincide with the launch of Lavin’s first childrenswear range – Lanvin Petite.

Each doll will be dressed in a miniature version of one of the mainline Lanvin Petite outfits. The style of the dolls’ bodies and faces are also based on creative director, Alber Elbaz’s sketches.

The concept of creating the dolls is in honour of Jeanne Lanvin, the founder of the brand, who liked to make clothes for children and dolls. This is not the first time that Lanvin have experimented with dolls and scaled down outfits.

In 1945/6 the brand showcased their latest collection by modelling them on miniature dolls to ensure that they didn’t waste fabric. The collection was called Théâtre de la Mode and consisted of around 200 dolls – created by artists including Jean Cocteau, one of the most multi-talented artists of the 20^th Century.

Théâtre de la Mode toured Britain, Scandinavia and the USA to raise funds for war victims and to promote French fashion around the world. Lanvin then revisited this concept in their S/S 08 when they produced 7 limited edition ceramic dolls – complete with miniature Lanvin outfits.

The proceeds from the dolls will go to the charity Dessine L’espair, which supports women in Africa with HIV. The aim of the project is to provide a source of income for the women and to give them the opportunity to improve the quality of life for them and their families.

Alber Elbaz, has previously worked with the charity on projects including the Gala Dinner last march, where the tables were decorated with his sketches.

The collection of dolls will be available in all Lanvin boutiques and stockists of the Lanvin Petite range, and will cost 250€ ($350).

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