For every season collection Lanvin has ever done, its creative director awaits one word to push their creative instinct, and this time round it shall be: “digital”. Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendriijver enveloped the curious digitally minded community by creating couture of sartorial individuality with every piece and accessory an individuality outburst, to answer a raised question of, “Do we lose our identity in that community?” There were no holdbacks on the catwalk; it was either evolve or die. By creating a collection that embodied many directions from street to sporty, from rebellious to luxurious, the comeback style of the Eighties new-waves. In the pursuit of evolving and revolutionizing in this tough industry, Lanvin did not fail to pursue a new and youthful collection, both luxurious and nostalgic.
The models marched down the catwalk with their featured expressionless faces and partially shaved hairstyles, in acid-bright varsity jackets and skinny ties for an early new-wave. At the start, roomy coats and biker jackets came cut in couture fabrics, sophisticated sense of colors and in every conceivable silhouettes, added by a cutting-edge of fur panels on shoulders for faux spikes and silver zipper ornaments. Ossendrijver kicked it off to higher speed with tailored suits in forest green with blue sweaters in mesh prints to pink round neck sweaters and red shirts worn with slim pants that looked skinnier as worn in the Eighties. Silhouettes were both slim and wide, waistlines were high and low, patterns and prints mixed and every tailored look was linearly paired with colorful sneakers. Every look was a “freedom to choose”; an anti-uniformed combination of all design aesthetics for haute couture.
A modernist take on mixed genres and subcultures, Lanvin was able to step out its norms to create a freedom of speech conveyed in fashion. Lanvin’s show was not “model wore clothes”, it was the basic definition of “clothes wore models” and the failure of not taking it a notch higher than other fashion houses were not seen. A dynamic and vibrant show that has let out a breath of nostalgic-1980’s, freedom of speech. (Text Nadilla Sari Ratman)