“In the digital era, we live through our screens, through turning the present moment into images. We don’t look anymore, we film. We don’t listen anymore, we record. And we don’t talk anymore, we download,” argues Alber Elbaz backstage of his runway. It’s only logical then that he wanted to turn the Lanvin woman into the archetype of a nostalgia that, far from being trivial, recalls the greatest hours of Paris’ romanticized past. For the Lanvin woman is a lover of the night, of high society, of decadence and trips to the powder room. The Lanvin woman is a Parisienne, voilà. Her elegance, her secrets, the lights and splendid goings-on are what she’s all about – with grace and lightness to match.
His robe de style is being crafted next season through the sequins that embroider it. The piece captures light just like Paris likes to play with it, in red and orange shades that are altogether incredibly soft. Bizarrely enough, the clothing and shoes that went down the runway that day seemed as if they were straight out of a sketchbook, or the kind of mockup that can today be enjoyed in museums and other specialized galleries. And yet, it’s actually an updated 1920s style that’s incarnated in this dress that also plays with a surprising juxtaposition of fabrics. Here the rigidness of sequins coexists with the softness and fragility of lace, sprinkled on to add a bit of grace to the composition of this robe de style.
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