Lanvin SS 2013 Review

Last season Alber Elbaz celebrated ten years at Lanvin. That anniversary collection was like a best of or a greatest hits. It wasn’t derivative but all the signatures that Elbaz has introduced during his tenure were there. Before his latest spring collection I wondered if there would be any major shift in the look because I felt the last collection was a great book-end to a decade of style. It would seem my hopes were dashed and I was a wee bit disappointed but it was just the fashion geek in me seeking a knockout collection. And I mean, it really was a knockout anyway because Elbaz’ collections are always beautiful and ultra luxe. Ugh, what the hell am I trying to say here? Okay, I was expecting a big change but there wasn’t one but it doesn’t matter anyway because I still loved the collection.

The tuxedos were in some ways a sad reminder of how utterly amazing he would’ve been had he not been fired from YSL all those years ago (thanks a bunch Tom Ford). And I say that because the tuxedos in this collection were amazing but they won’t get the credit they deserve because Lanvin aren’t primarily known for them. It’s their jewel tone and jewel smattered dresses that get all the attention.

There was definitely an experimental edge to some of the looks like the giant bows stamped down one side of a couple of dresses or the sleeveless jacket with a single white lapel flapping about. Apart from that it was business as usual. One sleeved tops, big shoulders, statement jewelry. My favourite look would have to be the black 80’s looking prom dress worn with high heel cowboy boots. And those boots have best seller written all over them. Most importantly, Elbaz creates desire. Here’s to another 10 years.

Lanvin AW 2012 Review

Alber Elbaz celebrated 10 years at Lanvin with his fall 2012 collection. And in typical Elbaz/Lanvin style he celebrated women-and excess. The collection opened with a series of startlingly-hued dresses in daffodil, raspberry, and grape. That grape look was extraordinary in the way it was moulded to the model's body. The collection was a reinterpretation of Alber's modern-day codes for Lanvin: fur, epic jewels, gloves, a big sleeve, and moody colour. It seems Alber has no intention of going elsewhere so it'll be interesting to see if he continues in this same trajectory or he'll follow the 'if it aint broke' school of thought.

Lanvin Spring Summer 2012 Review

Each season is never terribly surprising. There's always an 80's vibe to his work. Big shoulders, flashy costume jewelry and bags, single-sleeved dresses. For spring Alber Elbaz went dark. He ditched the sparkly jewel tones and went for a palette of mostly black, taupe, white and grey. He hopped on the digital printing bandwagon and had snakes appear on shirts and pants.
I love that he still creates movement and space around the body. This is something he continues to push every season with varying results. The opening skirts were a sexy new look for Lanvin but there were still intentional folds of puckered fabric for an added touch of comfort. The waists on the skirts curved like the lip of an urn and looked beautiful. The built up shoulders of some dresses had both a strength and a softness to them. He wasn't trying to create a false or convincingly strong shoulder because when you look closely at it you can see it is spongy.

The most remarkable look was a black pencil skirt with a deceptively simple-looking draped top. The neckline looks like it is collapsing on itself, almost like a vase on a potters wheel falling apart.

Heather Mooney? Is That You?

Karl Lagerfeld had this to say about retirement…

“I have a contract for life so it all depends on who I would like to hand it to. At the moment I’d say Haider Ackermann.”

Emphasis on atm. I love Lagerfeld but homegirl is old. I watched the Lagerfeld documentary and he’s blind! He was reading something and was holding it up to his face, like right against his face. It was like something right out of Absolutely Fabulous.
Today it might be Ackermann but tomorrow it could be Baptiste Giabiconi.

Jump to 1:40. Hilarity. 

Ackermann’s response?

"What can one possibly say to such a phrase?! Such a compliment! Honored I feel, how can one not be?! In all honesty tremendously, immensely touched especially coming from Monsieur Lagerfeld."

Gayest response ever right?

He later said "I think Mr. Lagerfeld said something that was a really nice compliment. But I think people should take it as he took it: a compliment. No more, no less.”

In other words, he called Lagerfeld immediately to thank him and Lagerfeld was all wer? Quoi?

With so many talented designers out there is Ackermann right for the job? Chanel ticks so many boxes that make the brand so successful and I’m sure they’d like to keep it that way when Lagerfeld sashays off to heaven. They’re one of the top luxury fashion brands in the world with a slew of house signatures that are instantly recognized as Chanel, even if they’re not the real deal.

Oh hey Court, is that Chanel? Didn't think so

Tweed, chains, the camellia flower, 2-tone shoes, quilting, No. 5. The list goes on and most of them are distinctively Chanel. No other house comes even close to such brand awareness. And then they have the star designer. Lagerfeld. Outspoken, flamboyant (that’s journalist-speak for total fag) and has an anecdote for every strand of his grey pomp.
He’s such an integral part of Chanel that the house will undoubtedly change when he is gone. The house will go on but Lagerfeld’s void will be felt and no one will have the impact he’s had. I don’t question Ackermann’s abilities (his Spring 2011 collection of jewel tone mullet dresses was tres swell) but his personality may not suit the brand. But what the fuck do I know. I used to think corduroy cargo pants were a legitimate daywear option.


Here’s my list of who should take over when Lagerfeld retires/dies.

Luella-Not only is Luella unemployed (fashion design-wise anyway. Sadly her label has shuttered so she’s wide open) but she had an amazing Spring 2009 collection that was like a young frisky Chanel girl after doing a line of blow and eating a scone. It was yummy.

Rei Kawakubo- Can you even imagine? I didn’t think so.

Alber Elbaz- He ticks every box. He’s distinctive looking, apparently a screaming diva if things aren’t done his way (yes, that’s a box that needs to be ticked). Oh, and incredibly talented.

Chloe, let go of the talented designer you hipster freak

Should bequeath his job to a bunch of cats like all crazy old people do.

Here’s my list of people that if they got the job, I’d die a little inside.

Marc Jacobs. I would die A LOT inside if Marc Jacobs did Chanel.

Dolce and Gabbana. Greasy Italian tax evaders who haven’t done a great collection in forever. And Gabbana dissed Stella McCartney over Twitter. Mee-owwww

Fabio Viscovo: I LOVE Stella McCartney!
Stefano Gabbana: who ??????
Fabio Viscovo: ahahaha! You don’t like Stella McCartney?!
Stefano Gabbana: Who ????? The daughter of the singer ?????
Fabio Viscovo: Yeeees! Stella McCartney, the designer !!!!!
Fabio Viscovo: Stefanoooooooo, please !!!!! You don’t know Stella’s a stylist ?????
Stefano Gabbana: What’s she known for?? What’s her specialty??
Stefano Gabbana: What sort of style does she do? What’s so special about it??
Fabio Viscovo: She makes a lot of minimalist sequined dresses… … .. they’re really feminine. They’re perfect for a nude look!
Fabio Viscovo: Come on! You’ve just got to have seen them! And although she’s really famous … she’s still an upcoming designer!
Stefano Gabbana: Yeah, she’s upcoming after 15 years doing nothing!! Hahahaha
Stefano Gabbana: Aaaaaaa …… I see you appreciate nonentities!! Bravo!

Henry Holland. Embroidered tweed slogan t-shirts? When hell freezes over Miguel Androver.

Anna Sui. That would actually be hilarious but then quickly become tragic.

So I wanna do this like, prairie patchwork skirt right? You feel me?

Raf Simons. Chanel? Minimal? It didn’t work in the 90’s so why bother. You stay at Jil Sander Mr Simons. You stay.

it looks like a ball sack

                                                    

 I am not amused

Alber-Don't Fucking Call Me Albert-Elbaz Does It Again

Look at the draping on this dress. Mind sploded

You got a little something on your top

Crunchy pleats

Look at those colours!!!!

Sexy but not clingy

Striking column, adds to the minimalism story for spring

How can I make something sexy but not clingy? I think Alber Elbaz asks himself this question with each Lanvin collection and for Spring he used fabric pleats and folds to address the question. If you look at Elbaz’ collections you’ll see that he always tries his best to make flattering clothes that have movement and ease. He’s sort of the opposite of Versace.

The show opened with gorgeous one-shouldered tops with light, flowy skirts in olive and mousse green, yes I said mousse, I’m really bad at describing colours. There were caramel toned leather harnesses-something that seems more McQueen than Lanvin- but they were weirdly inviting. The dresses in corrugated fabrics of charcoal and olive green could potentially function like seersucker, allowing airflow to trap under the bumps of fabric, cooling the skin. There were ingeniously draped sheer dresses in rust and green and I really mean ingenious, especially the one worn by Iris Strubegger. Lime,eggplant and strawberry micropleat dresses were giving me Pleats Please vibes but duh, of course they would.

There were some zippered dresses too that looked all slice n dice Japanese avant garde. It wasn’t until I watched the video of the show that I realized why he’d done this. The movement! Ugh, you should see the way these dresses move, it’s beautiful. I’ll post a video but only if you promise to take a look.

Overall this collection is really impressive and ever thoughtful however some of the dresses towards the end were overly embellished and seemed out of step with the refreshingly simple columns and felt like they belonged in a different collection.

LANVIN SPRING 2010

Nicolas Ghesquiere of Balenciaga asked this week "who are these women having cocktails?" It was a statement about his collection featuring mostly pants and his belief that women who wear cocktail dresses are a myth. At Lanvin, it would appear Alber Elbaz would have the answer. His spring show opened with a series of short black dresses with great curls of fabric sweeping around necklines and working their way down the side of the body. The fabric caressed the body, never hugging it as looser fitting clothes are a house code at Lanvin. There were tops that displayed Elbaz' eye for drape, some in chiffon that appeared merely placed on the models before they strutted out with their cream puff hair and single leather glove. It was just so effortless. The collection rounded out with some fuck-off costume jewelry, a jumpsuit and some dresses drizzled with gold sequins and other embellishments. There's such a realness to Elbaz' work that I don't know how any woman could resist such beautiful style and craftmanship.