“Once, designers would go to Africa for inspiration. Now they Google Africa. So this season there were no virtual trips for us. No Google. It wasn’t how it looked in a photo, but how it felt on the boys.” Alber Elbaz recently had an epiphany where he realized people are just looking instead of seeing, especially during an age where everything is just a Google Image search away; which is why, this presentation sets off as a challenge for him: to create a collection that takes Lanvin away from the mainstream social media and back to the realm of discreet luxury.
The clothes themselves had an-ongoing struggle between what is luxury and what is mainstream, for example, a series of jogging outfits in deep shades of navy and sand almost seemed to have an underground street-credibility to them, but then you find out they were fashioned out of viscose silk.
Proportion was also something Elbaz played with significantly in this collection; shorts that barely made it above the thighs were worn underneath oversized blazers and jackets that definitely take guts to pull off (and legs.)
The finale looks were a testament as to how Lanvin is able to differentiate himself away from the crowd; in a season that’s gone very graphic and floral, Elbaz chose to focus specifically on texture, “nothing techno or digital.” The collage zip up jackets, with a mix of tactile and visual textures is absolutely going to make a big impact on the magazine editorial circuit.
RELATED ARTICLES
