Lanvin Menswear Catwalk Fashion Show Paris FW2013

Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver looked for contrast in their latest fall winter collections. Their guys wore ultra thin ties tucked in their pants as well as oversize woolen coats. Their turtlenecks in many shades, shiny shirts and footwear were just as strong statement pieces. A few quilted leather pieces were quite the opposite of the pair of sheer colored blouses towards the end of the collection. And an oversize T-shirt and a pair of slim pants formed an odd, yet good looking combination. Shades of red and blue were strangely mixed in with the typical winter color palette of blacks, whites and greys. The designer duo tried lots of new things. Some more powerful than others, but lots to think about nevertheless.

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.

Backstage at Lanvin Menswear fw2010

Peter Stigter went backstage at Lanvin this morning to capture the vibe. He spotted Lucas Ossendrijver – the designer of Lanvin menswear – and Alber Elbaz – creative director of Lanvin – backstage styling the models and giving interviews to journalists like Suzy Menkes (who was lyric about the collection: “Loving Lanvin has become the leitmotif of the 21st century. But there was a good reason why the menswear show Sunday was cheered so fervently. This is a rare historic house where the clothes seem to live in the moment, yet embrace a traditional masculine  only culture.”)

Take a close look at the accessories – those rings and snakeskin bags ! – and the clothes. This is menswear from today – never aggressive or conservative, but self-assured and loving.  And, most important: it brings back the fun in men’s fashion.

Paris Catwalk Fashion Show fw2010: Lanvin

If I were a man I would wear Lanvin. The clothes are modern yet friendly, soft but tough enough and extremely normal. It’s not only the quality of the fabrics, first of all it’s the quality of design. And Lucas Ossendrijver has a great talent.

This season Lanvin looks tougher and more out-in-the-world with dark wools, raw-edge seams, some belted coats that lent a military feeling. The strappy backpack added a contemporary, city-warrior touch.

Ossendrijver went away from the too soft and poetic style, but still he was able to put emotion (a certain awareness of vulnerability) into the clothes. All this season’s trends were in the collection, done in a Lanvin-way: beautiful shoes that seem boots, the layering, the leather coats, the fluid silhouette, the grays and blacks.