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French lingerie brand, Maison Close, is retiring its name after twenty years and relaunching as Scandale, the historic lingerie house founded in 1932 that its Founder, Nicolas Busnel, formally acquired last October.
The transition took effect on 22 July, marking the end of the Maison Close identity and the revival of a brand that played a notable role in the development of modern French lingerie. The acquisition was first announced in January, coinciding with Maison Close’s twentieth anniversary.
Rather than a conventional rebrand, the move represents a succession. Busnel built Maison Close over two decades into a name frequently used by photographers and stylists, and has now taken ownership of the house whose visual and design language his own brand had long drawn from.
“Scandale has always been part of my world of inspiration,” Busnel noted of the acquisition, citing the house’s illustrated campaigns by René Gruau as a direct influence on his own approach to French femininity.
A House Built On Engineering And Image
Scandale was founded in 1932 by Robert Perrier, who had previously supplied silk to Chanel, Dior and Balenciaga. Perrier developed a process to turn liquid latex into fibre and created the first modern elasticated girdle, effectively unlacing French women a generation before Lycra reached the market.
The house combined technical innovation with a deliberate approach to visual identity. Red became its signature colour and the leg its central motif. Illustrator, René Gruau, designed the logo that defined the brand’s visual language, and subsequent advertising campaigns by Pierre Couronne, Diaz and Jean Jacquelin carried that identity across France and the United States. The approach treated lingerie as something to be staged and theatricalised rather than kept out of view.
The brand later attracted investment from actress Halle Berry and was carried forward by Erik Ryd before Busnel completed the acquisition.
Celebrity Associations
Both Maison Close and Scandale have maintained a visible presence in entertainment and fashion. Kate Moss and Madonna have worn Maison Close. Miley Cyrus featured the brand on an album cover. Singer, Rosalía, wore Maison Close’s signature fluorescent pieces beneath her skirt at the BRIT Awards.
The brand’s recurring presence in editorial and celebrity contexts has positioned it less as a conventional lingerie label and more as a supplier of a particular visual mood, one that photographers and stylists have consistently reached for.
Flagship Store And Farewell Show Planned
The first permanent Scandale flagship store is set to open in September on Rue Cambon in Paris, close to the historic centre of French couture.
In late September, a private show at the Théâtre du Trianon will mark Maison Close’s twenty-year history as a closing event before the name change takes full effect. The final Maison Close pieces will be retained as collector’s items and archived.
What Comes Next
The relaunch under the Scandale name gives Busnel access to the house’s full archive and brand heritage dating back to 1932, while bringing forward the contemporary positioning and industry relationships built under Maison Close.
The transition effectively merges a ninety-four-year-old French lingerie name with the modern production and distribution infrastructure Busnel developed over two decades. The Scandale identity is now active as of July.
