Paris Fashion Week: Lanvin gets to the root of the matter

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Silhouetted under a wise-looking willow tree, the first model at the Lanvin show stepped out of the darkness and into the light, ready to take on the world.

The tree could have meant that Alber Elbaz was getting back to the roots of a women’s wardrobe--her go-to jacket, skirt, coat (and cape?), in neutral black, beige, gray and power red. These no-nonsense pieces were spare but special, with gold metal outlining the lapel of a barrel-shaped coat or the square neckline of a long jacket.

Tiny flashes of gold hardware on a leather dress, a lipstick red chemise, and a cape-sleeve blouse tucked into pants, represented a new, cleaner kind of embellishment, underscoring Elbaz’s elegantly pared-down approach. Not that Lanvin’s luxe jewelry was cast aside. Collars and cuff bracelets were bolder than ever, with Deco-inspired jewels or gigantic flower blooms.

There was a flowering of sorts on the runway, too. Dresses came out first in dark silks and lace, then rose florals, and finally, garden variety hues of daffodil yellow, tulip red and hydrangea pink. The sculptural sleeves, thigh-grazing hemlines and side swept skirts were familiar ground for Elbaz. But the new volume through the hips looked as fresh as the flowers in the models’ hair.

--Booth Moore in Paris

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