The fountain pen for a phantom pilot
The Chevignon story
There is a famous French brand in the world, many of whose products have a 1957 date. Although the company Charles Chevignon was founded in 1979, the backdating doesn't really bother either the sellers or the buyers. The odd thing is that not many people have thought about it before, but tompens.com has found out who (or rather who isn't) Charles Chevignon?
The words 'Trade Mark 1957' on the fountain pen confused me for a moment, but the 'character' of the fountain pen was not visibly reminiscent of the late fifties. I tried to find out who was Charles Chevignon? Was he a fashion dictator? Or an investor? Unfortunately, neither the French Wikipedia, nor the Chevignon company's customer service, nor even the all-knowing OpenAI artificial intelligence had any information about Charles. I finally found the image that started me on the path to the source, a picture of a pilot gazing up at the sky. The company was founded by Guy Azoulay, who was brought to France from Algeria by his parents at the age of 4. He founded his company in 1979 with the big idea of producing retro fashion products from the 1940s and 1950s. He started with worn leather jackets. In 1991, he was interviewed in the pages of The Washington Post by the famous journalist Sharon Waxman, who asked him about the Chevignon myth. The founder had this to say about the brand name:
In 1979, the company needed a name. Azoulay wanted something French to introduce consumers to an American idea.
- But the company needed a name. Azoulay wanted something French to familiarize consumers with an American idea. "Oh," he laughs, "we tried a million different names. Chevignon sounded like Old France, and yet it was funny. At least I think it's funny to call an old American jacket Chevignon."
Sounds like Old France, but also like Chevrolet. Or Champion. Or Chesterfields, like the countless period posters strewn around his warehouse.
Charles Chevignon, according to the clientele-created myth, was a pilot who flew with the American Air Force to liberate France in 1944. He also flew in Korea, and in the war in Algeria.
The conversation reveals how 1957 came to be on the products:
Doesn't Azoulay feel a bit dishonest about all this hype? He laughs, modeling a suede jacket with "1957" embroidered on the right breast. "I could care less if it isn't true," he says, grabbing Miran and doing a quick cheek-to-cheek. "Is Hollywood true?
The question is, to what extent does it constitute misleading the consumer if a company backdates the year of incorporation of its company for marketing purposes? I have not found any law on this, but if you are a lawyer and know the relevant regulations, please write!
Other than the above discussion, I have found no other references or sources on the subject. It is, however, highly thought-provoking that Chevignon pens for sale (although not a common writing instrument) are usually listed as 1957 year of manufacture. However, I have not been able to determine the exact date of manufacture, but this may be the earliest of several types, i.e. it may have been produced in the early 1980s. Here are some Chevignon fountain pen pieces:
Source of the article: The Washington Post /1991.04.
