Lanvin Fall 2015
Alber Elbaz is regarded as one of the fashion world’s foremost romantics. His work inherently reflects his intellectual involvement and a desire to make women look beautiful, and in his words “make them fly.” Born in Casablanca, Morocco, Alber Elbaz took up the mantle of creative director for Lanvin in 2001 and is widely credited with transforming the French couture house into a luxury powerhouse. His multicultural design vocabulary doesn’t fit easily into any one single narrative, except the one of a life time of multicultural experiences.
This season, citing Morocco as an inspiration he said “I went back to the place that’s my birthplace, Morocco and began with something totally nomadic and urbanized it.” He opened the show with equestrian, military-style trousers with a red stripe running down the sides tucked into knee high boots, worn with a cropped navy jacket. Tassels appeared subtly in ropes around the waist and dangling from python and leather riding boots. This was followed by draped jersey dresses with flowing skirts framed by leather harnesses that embraced just one side of the body and gave an interest to necklines.
Adding to the theme of the tribal Sahara, Elbaz introduced wrapping, the kind used widely by Berbers in Morocco. Wrapped skirts were shown with silk blouses or paired with fur trimmed jackets to great effect. A fluid wrapped skirt was teamed with the simplest of tank tops and accessorized with an enormous quartz pendant. The ingenious way he introduced his reference points, hinted rather than screamed their origins.
Next up was Talitha Getty’s brand of bohemianism – patchwork fur, shearling, and long flowing, airy gowns. Many of the pieces were made all the more striking with rich intarsia patterns fused with fringe or used on many of the coats and dresses. And although the feel of the collection had an echo of the 70’s with rich floral embroidery edged on jackets and skirts, the clothes felt thoroughly modern. A sprinkle of feathers delicately accentuated evening-ready skirts, and gowns with raw selvage edges. In one sheer gown, a whole new way of mixing prints was devised displaying beautifully intricate patchworks of jacquard in vivid rust metallic hues. Watching the show, it was hard not to think of the influence that Morocco once had on Yves Saint Laurent. After all Elbaz worked for the storied fashion house in the late 90s. The story Elbaz paints of the beauty and romance of his birthplace is a fitting tribute to his roots.
This year Lanvin celebrates 125 years of design. The Musée Galliera, formally known as the Musée de la Mode de la Ville de Paris has been chosen by Lanvin as the location for a retrospective dedicated to Jeanne Lanvin and the history of the label. Don’t miss recently discovered rare images of Jeanne Lanvin inside 22 Faubourg Saint Honoré. Jeanne is captured making the final adjustments to models ahead of the launch of her “Tubéreuse” or “Azalée” evening wear collection.
