French couture houses to be revived

Couture house Mainbocher and footwear brand Hebert

Levine are set to be revived, after French entrepreneur Arnaud de Lummen acquired the trademark rights and intellectual property to both labels.

De Lummen, who plans to relaunch both brands as well as several other dormant labels, is best known for buying Vionnetin 2006 before selling the brand to Matteo Marzotto and Gianni Castiglioni three years later.

"You start with roots and a history," he told WWD. "When you relaunch, you already have a story to tell. After a few years, people completely forget that the brand was dormant. People think it's always been there. It's reassuring to consumers that you're not a newcomer."

Founded by French Vogue fashion editor Main Rousseau Bocher, Mainbocher was first launched in 1929 in Paris before relocating to New York in 1940. It shuttered in 1971, when the designer retired at the age of 81. Popular with Wallis Simpson and Diana Vreeland, the label is known for its understated elegant glamour.