Between Strength and Fragility

By Sandrine Goncalvès

A show by Lanvin is always one of the most anticipated events of the Parisian Fashion Week and the presentation of the next summer collection did not disappoint the lovers of chic and glamour.

Albert Elbaz, the artistic director of the brand, has shown once again that dresses and skirts may constitute the minimum necessary for a wardrobe. Fashion does not necessarily imply too much complication. In the morning, a woman simply needs a suit or a dress or maybe two dresses worn one above the other for a more sophisticated look. Lanvin’s last fashion show perfectely illustrated this statement. Day time strictness was expressed through dark suits, in black or dark blue, that were made of fabrics usually used for men’s outfits.

Dressed this way, the woman becomes a strong and sexy working-girl in her blazer and miniskirt. The second part of the show focused on the evening short and skinny cocktail dresses. Often asymmetrical and draped, these dresses are to be worn with heavy jewelry. They were sometimes embroidered with sequins or pearls for a sparkling effect. If they were not wearing skirts or dresses, the models presented fluid jumpsuits made of pleated silk. The fabrics were always noble and silky and their fluidity embellished the body curves. The volumes of these evening gowns softened and the silhouettes expressed a sense of fragility and vulnerability.

Recalling modernised goddess dresses, fabric could be wrapped asymetrically around the body and simply attached to one’s shoulder thanks to a beautiful piece of jewelry . The waist was then highlighted with a thin belt. Albert Elbaz wanted to give the impression that the fabric was literally thrown on the body in a natural movement that created the shape of the outfit. He wanted to create clothes with no corset, no interior construction of any kind, as if the pieces of fabrics were only held with strings or a few ribbons.

For him, this has been the most difficult collection to create because of the natural movement of the fabrics that were difficult to master. Finally, the final clothes do not look like the original drawings at all and both could be considered as two separate collections.

A woman dressed in Lanvin also dares to display voluminous jewelry ; large bracelets and cuffs, big earings and necklaces. In terms of makeup, the eye is very smoky but glossy. The eyebrow is almost invisible as if discolored. The complexion is nude to enhance the eyes. As for the hair, it is tied in a knot round the top of the head.

The resulting look is totally glamorous, elegant, sophisticated and at the same time really fatal. The mini-dresses worn while the eyes are made up in black give a slight touch of agressivity. The women who dress in Lanvin are strong women who know their destiny but who can also show sensitivity and emotion. No wonder this brand represent an absolute definition of modern feminity.