Lucien Pellat Finet has passed away

Far from adhering to conventional jumper designs, Lucien Pellat-Finet dedicated over two decades to the exploration of luxurious cashmere, continuously reimagining attire and venturing into creative realms imbued with a hint of rock’n’roll, eccentricity, and occasional audacity.

The “King of Cashmere,” as he was dubbed in the book Super Fucking Lucky dedicated to him about a decade ago, has passed away at the age of 77. He spent his final years at his home in Trancoso, located in the southern part of Bahia state in Brazil, where he retired after selling his brand.

Long before the emergence of a new wave of brands harnessing premium materials, Pellat-Finet enjoyed merging high-end fashion with pop iconography, featuring motifs such as skulls, peace symbols, cannabis leaves, and cartoon characters.

Hailing from the south of France, where his father oversaw the family stationery business, Lucien Pellat-Finet made his way to Paris, initially entering the fashion realm as a model. Legend has it he was found by Pierre Cardin. Thus commenced his enduring presence in the industry, including notable stints at Vogue before he ventured to establish his own company in 1986, culminating in the launch of his eponymous cashmere brand in 1994.

“Twin-sets worn by English grandmothers and pastel colors were not my cup of tea,” he explained to Le Point magazine in 2014. “I craved simplicity, timeless elegance, and an essence of haute couture.”

In 2017, at the age of 71, he unveiled his collections at Paris Men’s Fashion Week for the first time.

His label, which launched in 1994, was acquired by Thierry Gillier’s company Zadig et Voltaire, in 2019. The creative helm was handed over in 2023 to French designer Dryce Lahssan, renowned for his trench coat brand.