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Last season Olivier Saillard and Tilda Swinton presented ‘The Impossible Wardrobe‘, a once in a lifetime show that paid respect to the craft and beauty of dress making, and prompted Alber Elbaz to say: “It brought me back to the love of fashion. This is why we’re here”. Tonight’s Lanvin show proved he hasn’t forgotten the sentiment, telling i-D backstage “That Olivier Saillard show, it was so precious, it showed fashion as a precious thing and that inspired me. I wanted to go back to the preciousness, the emotion. I need stories and words – that’s what takes me forward.” Featuring ‘Cry to Me’ (don’t you feel like crying), and Cher’s ‘It’s in his Kiss’, the soundtrack echoed Elbaz’s feeling. And the clothes played with words and stories, branding ‘Love’, ‘Help’ and ‘Cool’ (his least favourite word actually) across necklaces. The women he sent out first were unashamedly feminine, wearing ruffles, tiaras and heart shaped pendants. Lace pleats, diamond bows, pink and peach silk dresses and butterfly prints represented the ultra feminine side of womankind, while navy, plaid and military suiting alongside beetle print pyjamas represented the sharper, harder side, “because women are changing and the world is changing”, he explained. Posing questions backstage about fashion’s obsession with ‘cool’ and ‘new’, and asking whether the words ‘fashion’ and ‘business’ have become too synonymous, Elbaz declared himself rightfully on the side of fashion, the emotional, beautiful, artistic expression that continues to inspire him to design, and inspire others in turn. It was a wonderful message to send.
Text: Sarah Raphael
Photography: Mitchell Sams
