Lanvin Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2012

Tiny waists and broad shoulders; Lucas Ossendrijver definitely renewed the male silhouette for this fall collection. He came up with long loose pants, oversize jackets tossed on the models’ shoulders and what appeared to be boxing boots.

The collection balanced on the fine line between being wearable and being cartoonesk. Yet if you’d take away the extravagant styling of the show most of the designs looked more subtle.

Besides full looks in camel, blue or red, looks with bold stripes and your typical deep red Tartan print were introduced. Still there was plenty of grey and black, but Ossendrijver managed to keep the collection quite light, which is very rare for a menswear winter collection.

It may take a while before your average male guy decides to dress in those black high waisted pants and that tight red and grey sweater. But more accentuated waists for men are becoming a trend, so Lanvin definitely nailed that one.

 

Lanvin Catwalk Fashion Show Paris ss2012

You need a genius designer like Alber Elbaz to transform the cut of a jogging suit into a powerful chic womenswear-collection. And so he did for Lanvin ss2012. On the runway appeared T-shirts, pencil skirts and loose shirtdresses,  stripped-down but powerful chic. Elbaz adopted the idea of comfy separates and sportiness for this collection. And how! Track pants ( with side stripes), were anything but casual with sexy slits. A white T-shirt had special, structured sleeves. And the stretch scuba material typical of athletic wear was transformed into tight skirts.

There was a definite Eighties vibe to this glamorous streetwear, not in the least because of the mega jewels — crystal crosses and gold chokers.  Some suits were done in green and black snake prints, which, in combination with the soft pleated dresses held with safety pins, reminded of  vintage Versace.

Lanvin Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

The weeping willow that dominated the stage at the Lanvin-show beautifully symbolized the roots of tradition, according to designer Alber Elbaz.
And despite that serious but positive vibe, Elbaz went dark, maybe it were the hats or the soundtrack with hints of Twin Peaks. The show started with plain, grounded, coated and caped looks, with pilgrim shoes and ladylike handbags.  Metal trims were a suitably, intriguing detail. But the severity had to fight itself free during the second part of the show. And the designer helped, wih metallic jewelry, textures, severe but sensual drapes, black lace, knit sheaths disordered by poufs of mousseline, and roses.

It was great to witness the way Elbaz built desire into his clothes, especially with simple things like a nip and tuck of fabric or with a zipper.

Lanvin Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2011

For fall/winter 2011 Lucas Ossendrijver came up with a beautiful collection in which tailoring was used in a sportswear way. It made the designs look extra comfy.

Trousers were baggy, the coats seemed ultra-soft and the turtle necks worn underneath fully buttoned shirts must be warm enough for any weather condition. The number of layers appeared endless!

With this collection Alber Elbaz wanted to bring more elegance to the young and mix the romantic spirit with the edginess of past collections. So though the items presented (double breasted blazers, coats, ties) were pretty classic, they were shown in a very youthful way.

Towards the end a printed suit and several colorful (yellow, pink, lavender) shiny jackets, pants and bowties gave the collection a nice twist.

Lanvin for H&M Fashion Show New York

Last night all the clothes from the Lanvin for H&M collection came alive during the grand haute couture fashion show in New York. Everyone who is someone in the world of fashion was gathered at the Pierre Hotel. Stars like Sofia Coppola, Andie MacDowell and Elettra Wiedemann attended were their the celebrate H&M’s latest collaboration with fashion house Lanvin.

Especially for the show all pieces from the Lanvin for H&M collection were reworked and were given an individual touch. So real haute couture was presented on the runway! The special pieces will later be sold in an auction and all proceeds will be donated to UNICEF.

The models (Pixie Geldof, Olga and Anna dello Russo to name a few) playfully walked the runway. Anna dello Russo even brought a dog on stage.

It was one big party which, for the guests, had a spectacular ending. They were all allowed to buy seven pieces of the Lanvin for H&M collection. Unfortunately we have to wait until November 23. We’re so jealous!

Highlights Paris Fashion Week SS2011

The fact that fashion shows are becoming more of a spectacle every year became especially clear in Paris. Like always Chanel’s show area was mind blowing. Also, Kenzo’s fortieth anniversary at Cirque d’Hiver was a show to remember. Then we had Viktor and Rolf with their enormous wedding dresses and beautifully illustrated backdrop. And of course there were the horses at Hermes and there was Beth Ditto’s runway début at Jean Paul Gaultier.

As for the fashion, Paris felt a bit more punky and raw (Balenciaga, Ackermann). Plus we saw many minimalistic shows like Chloé, Celine, Costume National and Stella McCartney (partly).

Lanvin
Alber Elbaz’ collection for Lanvin was everything we’d expected and more. He designed gorgeous feminine and asymmetric dresses and flowing skirts women actually want to wear. He used pleating and draping, yet made his designs very body tight too.

Givenchy
For next spring Givenchy felt rather dark, punk and techno. There was a lot of black and white, long silhouettes and sleeveless statements jackets. Tisci chose sheer and leopard printed fabrics and added lots of zippers to his creations. It all felt daring, new and very appropriate for the Givenchy girl.

Stella McCartney
Celebs like Salma Hayek, Beth Ditto, Liv Tyler and father Paul McCartney all witnessed the great show of Stella McCartney. The designer came up with a mix of minimalistic and ultra-sexy clothing. Therefore manly en feminine silhouettes alternated each other. The sober looks, as well as the fruit printed outfits (a new trend also seen at Moschino and Prada) all seemed great for next season.

Haider Ackermann
Ackermann’s fashion show ended with lots of applause from the audience and he sure deserved it. His elegant and modern collection was very impressive. There was lots of leather. Long skirts were narrow and sleeves motor-jackets looked tough. Shoulders were small and razor-shape and his signature cropped jackets often had an open back. The color-palette of black, royal reds & blues and a shot of yellow were a perfect match.

Balenciaga
Ghesquiere’s collection for Balenciaga felt very streetwise. The fact that he had scouted six models straight from the streets might have had something to do with that. Those six girls as well as Stella Tennant, Carolyn Murphy, a pregnant Miranda Kerr and Gisele Bundchen wore his pied de cock dresses in black, white, blue and red. There were colorful printed sleeves blouses, asymmetric tops and there was quilted leather. The overall look was boyish and felt very Balenciaga.

Daily favorites in Paris

Friday was Lanvin-day. Besides Balenciaga, Celine and the Japanes designers the fashionworld is eager to receive the message Alber Elbaz has to tell. His connection with women is unbelievable, he can sense them and translate their needs into modern, urban chic. As he did yesterday. But the collection is not complete with the beautiful and strong jewelry from designer Elie Top. For summer he got his inspiration from bees, flies and butterflies. I’ll have to start saving money now, I guess.

Also: the setup of the Lanvin shows is giving me goose-pimples all the time. A dark, long runway with just one accent (last season a stairway to heaven, yesterday a line of poles) and models that seem to appear from the dark. Their long walk builds up the tension.

When I saw the pictures of Yamamoto I was struck by the faded colors in one outfit. The show seemed very Yohji with big dresses, draped and folded. But I loved the way he mixed the colors with his signature black.

And then Dior. It was a very commercial and upbeat show, and that’s what it should be if they want to sell. It seems Galliano is only allowed to push the boundaries at haute couture, and that’s a pity. Anyway, windbreakers and parkas never looked so sexy. And as a real Dutch girl I really liked that.

Lanvin Catwalk Fashion Show Paris SS2011

Alber Elbaz is one of the few designers who thinks about what women want before he starts designing. He thinks about their lives, their work, their obligations, their worries. And he tries to make the best possible clothes for them. Next spring he offers them many choices from long flowing skirts to flat and smooth day-dresses to pantsuits inspired by athletic wear (his pantsuit is an elongated jacket over skirts and stretch leggings) . There was even a nylon raincoat.

Elbaz doesn’t like perfection, he loves wrinkles. And his collection seemed a hymn to skin: wrinkled in pleating, stretched in all those sheaths. It was a spectacular foundation on which he could use heavy colors. From elegantly taupe to acid yellow, hot pink, and aqua. The designer doesn’t like pantsuits either, so the focus was at his favorite uniformstyle for women: dresses. They came in one-shoulder styles, in a navy stretch fabric, with two dark zippers at the front and a belt. One navy dress had sleeves to just above the elbow and a deep V-front.  Simple flat sandals were the key-shoe.

The shoes in fact were the reason the show started one hour too late. When Elbaz noticed during the rehearsal that the models couldn’t walk on the high heels he planned for the show, the designer decided to skip the shoes and change them for other. That’s what I call respecting women.

Lanvin Catwalk Fashion Show SS2011

No matter what the Lanvin man is doing – working, hiking, travelling, dating – you name it – he looks stylish and chic. But very low profile. “It’s active clothing in a sartorial environment, but not sportswear,” said Ossendrijver in an interview. “Everything is in movement – almost aerodynamic.”

The show started with slim fitted, tailored jackets with visible seams. The fabrics looked light and modern in one way but also used and almost antique the other way. Like the jackets in a reworked and remixed tapestry-print. There were lots of knitted stuff, very thin, sometimes sheer – like biker shorts, tank tops and leggings. New were the sneaker/sandal hybrids.

It was the mix of rich fabrics and sport-references that made this collection very contemporary and wearable The accessories just added the right dose of artsy stuff as did some colors like blue, yellow and red.

The best of Paris Fashion Week FW2010

The Paris fashion week was the last fashion week of the season, but it was worth the wait. The brands in our top 4 (Celine, Dries van Noten, Lanvin and Louis Vuitton) all showed beautiful, wearable clothes in which women can feel confident and sexy.

Celine
The Celine fahion show was one to remember while it was a great follow-up for the amazing collection Phoebe Pilo showed for spring. Cause just like Pilo’s first collection for Celine this one was simplistic, yet never boring. Or as she described it herself: ‘Strong, Powerful, Reduced.’ The best fabrics were used and the clothes were made with Pilo’s signature clean and sophisticated cut. Shades of navy, black and white alternated each other. Leather details, like collars and pocket, and transparent fabrics gave the looks a bit of an edge. There’s no doubt this elegant and sexy collection will get it’s approval from Celine’s loyal customers. It had everything the women had been waiting for ever since Helmut Lang left the runway.

Dries van Noten
As one of the first designers to present his collection Dries van Noten managed to design exactly the kind of clothes women feel confident in. His designs were wearable, comfortable, feminine and refreshing. And the great thing about it; the models didn’t look as if they’d spent hours in front of the mirror. It seemed like they had just mixed and matched some of their own basics with some designer items. Therefore they looked streetwise and sophisticated at the same time. Two elements that really struck us were the colorful floral prints and the silver embroideries on the sleeves. Dries van Noten did a great job making fashion seem effortless, for once.

Lanvin
Dries van Noten wasn’t the only designer who proved he knew what women want. Alber Elbaz showed some great style as well. On the runway he built a stairway to heaven from which the models started their walk. They wore the cutest cocktail dresses and the most elegant evening gowns. Those dresses looked easy to wear, but were never simple. While most designs were very flattering, classy and still modern many women will feel comfortable wearing them. The collection felt urban, yet also had a light African tribal influence originating from Elbaz’ background (he was born in Morocco ). The tribal details were visible in the accessories, feathers and furry details. And we’re sure that between all those different items there was a little something for every woman.

Louis Vuitton
On the final day of the Paris fashion week Marc Jacobs once more amazed the world of fashion by presenting a 50’s/60’s inspired collection. He must have had the same thought as Miuccia Prada, only he took it a little further. His (full-figured) models (Laetitia Casta, Bar Refaeli, Catherine McNeil, Karolina Kurkova, Elle Macpherson) looked as feminine as ever with their wasp-waists, long circle skirts and full busts. Jacobs also re-introduced the famous Speedy bag. The show was inspired by the movie ‘And god created woman’ which made Brigit Bardot famous thus the models wore their hair in BB-inspired bouncy ponytails. The fashion spectacle was held around a fountain in the middle of a tented courtyard. It made up for a wonderful Parisian atmosphere, the perfect ending of a great fashion season.

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