It was chaotic, hyper, intense; like Grand Central at 5:30 p.m.
“Conventional” has never been a word associated with Lanvin, creative director Lucas Ossendrijver, whose spring menswear show centered on complex, deconstructed, garments borrowed from tailored suiting to military/workwear to form new independent looks. “It’s about the way we get information, the way we need information, nonstop”, he says. “In fashion, we are always checking; who’s where, what’s going on, it’s like every day you are waiting for something to happen.”
The modern dilemma of multi-sensory overload opens up a whole new dialogue about today’s masculine codes and men’s lifestyles. At first glance, the collection appeared chaotic — yet each look was as varied as the next one without any redundancy. “I didn’t want anything too formal or too dressy. I think people should be at ease with what they wear nowadays, but still with an energy, with some kind of excitement,” Ossendrijver said. “Even out of chaos, beautiful things can come.” Still, there was a very practical aspect to the clothes as Ossendrijver’s technical outerwear took center stage, representing fashion current obsession.
Floor sweeping double breasted trenches, hooded anoraks and quarter-zip jackets competed for the limelight layered over cargo trousers, polos, crew-neck sweaters, and t-shirts. Each of the looks possessed a technical, survivalist character, yet there was this feeling of chaos — a direct reference to our over-stimulated, multi-tasking culture. Or as Ossendrijver explains it: how we “zap from one thing to another with an attention span of ten seconds.” The colors and prints were juxtaposed together in a haphazard way that exhibited a youthful carefree vibe. One look mixed blue collar and white collar elements seamlessly, as in a utilitarian, cotton jumpsuit worn under an elongated blazer. Accessories included metallic hardware, slouchy carry-all duffel bags, amulet jewelry, and of course the season’s ubiquitous fanny pack.
See All the Looks from the Collection
