A Retrospective: Lanvin under Alber Elbaz (2001-2015)

[MulletProof]

^ funny you mention Helmut, Fall 2003 was a good time for pleats, I also obsessed over that dress he showed that made it to the campaign, it was like a black pleated rose (!), buckled, as stiff as most pleats are but so light, amazing thing. I wish collections could be shown again and go into production and everything, or maybe I should just thrift shop harder.

(beautiful movie btw, speaking of 1920s life.. 1920s nyhavn!, I learned a few things on how not to emasculate a partner haha!.. kidding ).

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Trust me Mullet, the most macho, masculine straight-as-an-arrow guys love love love to be emasculated behind closed doors…

And I’m not kidding, I can stare at pleats until I’m dazed. Help…

So, to stay on topic: Alber will be back soon. Even the name “Alber Elbaz” looks so strong on a label, and the sound just rolls off your tongue, like "Azzedine Alaia", should he strike out on his own. And no one will even notice Lanvin. His textures, layers, color-palette and just ease of luxury…. just like Dries and Helmut.

 

[Wintergreen]

I adored his designs and shows and his everything basically. The only thing I didn't like about him is that he never hired Carmen Kass, it just feels wrong.

 

[reesewu]

For me it was Spring 2011. I was in grade 10, just getting to know fashion. And then I saw the video of Frida Gustavsson walking down the dimly lit runway in a flowing dress. It was just like magic ! But I love (basically) all of Alber's creations. If I were a woman and had all the money, I would just simply order everything he made

(vogue)

 

[christian zh]

As a kid, who started following fashion in early 2008 - Spring/Summer 2008 & Fall/Winter 2008 are always gonna be my favorite Lanvin shows

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ That Fall collection was really memorable for the amazing ribbon pieces. I'm just in awe of the movement of that nude grosgrain bias dress!

 

[dior_couture1245]

Alber's work at Lanvin was fabulous. I feel like that's the best word to describe the body of work. Truly masterful work, yet nothing ever looked labored, heavy-handed or tricky. Everything looked and felt spontaneous…very gestural.

I loved practically everything he created for the house from his first collection to about 2010. After 2010, I felt as if at that point a formula was being too heavily relied on - the formula of his incredibly influential Spring/Summer 2008 show. And who know's if that was a pressure put on him? Maybe that was a signifier of the fate of the relationship between Elbaz and management that eventually played out? But after 2010, it seemed as though every collection followed the same script - start off sober and restrained, and then eventually the color and embroidery and embellishment and costume jewelry exploded towards the end of the line up.

Which is not to say that he didn't create beautiful, outstanding designs during the last years at the house. I just prefer the earlier stuff.

Favorite collections:
Fall/Winter 2009
I loved the 1940's Post-War glamour glamour of this collection. An absolutely delicious collection. So sumptuous and evocative. I loved the show, too…the wet pavement, the dangerous music (the Flash and the Pan "Walking in the Rain" track is used so incredibly here)…so moody!


Fall/Winter 2008
One of Alber's sexiest shows. Glamorous, seductive, aggressive, and so much attitude. The embellished grosgrain flapper dresses are absolutely iconic! Loved the greasy chignons and the charcoal eyes! So sexy!


Fall/Winter 2007
One of his greatest achievements, in my opinion. So graphic, so impactful, so strange and mysterious. His signature draping was used in such inventive ways. I'll always remember that opening look…the fuchsia washed silk mutton-sleeved sack dress and matching pumps on Ali Michaels in that choppy black wig...MAJOR! The moody, industrial night-clubby set with those strategically placed mirrors at the runway entrance to get the side views of the models as they walked out…total WOW factor.

Spring/Summer 2007
Alber's most experimental collection. I remember how editorially successful this collection was! I will always remember Spring/Summer 2007 as the season every designer either did techy/futuristic or hyper-romantic florals. Great soundtrack (when those Moroccan drums come on around 3:00…GORGEOUS), great styling, great hair and make up. And the iconic face prints from the previous season's ad campaign..GENIUS!


Spring/Summer 2005
One of Alber's most charming shows. The most gorgeous color palette! And those billowing, light as air washed silk dresses and trench coats…really fantastic. I absolutely LOVE the soundtrack for this show, too…a crazy, absurd, dizzying mix of so many different global tracks…made for such a dynamic, positive and light-hearted show. The moment (second video, about 2:45) when the Bavarian Polka accordion gets mashed up with Perez Prado's Latin Mambos that all come to a screeching halt - only to seamlessly transition into an elegant traditional Chinese track? It's utterly fabulous.

 

[Steddycam91]

With all this chatter about Hedi potentially leaving Saint Laurent, just imagine if Alber were to return to that house...

 

[dior_couture1245]

^^Now THAT would be divine.

 

[fashionista-ta]

style.it

To me, this most recent collection was more experimental than S/S 2007. It looks like the minidresses sold well to retailers, but (no surprise) I've seen just one of the corsetry/draped (not sure how to describe them ...) dresses for sale so far. I personally wish the last collection had been more wearable/less experimental ... normally it doesn't matter too much what's on the runway in terms of what will be available, but I'm not sure he had time to design the non-runway pieces.

The earlier work is definitely charming, and some is highly polished and extremely covetable (hard to imagine improving on F/W 2008, for example). But what I also see in some of the early pieces/collections is how much his technique has been refined and improved since then.

I also notice many of the pieces would look better on a woman than the girls who are wearing them in the show.

When I think of a model wearing Lanvin, Jamie Bochert is the one who comes to mind. Which is interesting when I see the many well-known models I'd forgotten walked in his shows. Daria especially owned the runway in one of the shows posted above.

 

[vetements]

Fashionista-at, It's so amazing how perfect that show is indeed, nothing is out of place and each and every piece still remain relevant today.

 

[Benn98]

Renzo Rosso: ‘Galliano, Elbaz and Me’

...Interestingly enough, Rosso tells me he has met and talked with Alber Elbaz since he left Lanvin, whom he found charming and talented. It was all very informal, but when Elbaz said “I don’t have a company,” Renzo replied: “make one!” It might or might not be a case of ‘watch this space,’ but whatever happens, Renzo Rosso is still motoring. He has enough energy, self-belief, finance and idealism to do many things — and then there’s a second generation right behind him.

Hhhmmm....so it seems signature is inevitable!

Quote source: http://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/colins-column/renzo-rosso-galliano-elbaz-only-the-brave?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=5477004e43-&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2191372b3-5477004e43-417355313?utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=5477004e43-&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2191372b3-5477004e43-417355313

 

[Pricciao]

That'll be great turnout overall, I'm rooting for his own house.

 

[Nymphaea]

The Day Before: Alber Elbaz for Lanvin

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ Loved the video ... beautiful

So sad that this chapter is over.

 

[blueorchid]

Vanity Fair January 2010
"Lanvin Extraordinaire" by Amy Fine Collins
Photographer: Tim Walker
Stylist: Sarajane Hoare



Vanity Fair Archive

 

[Cocteau Stone]

He brought such joy to fashion in the best possible way when he was at Lanvin!

Always loved his lack of self-seriousness whilst taking the artisanal craft of fashion very seriously. And he had such a lovingly blithe attitude to deconstruction which is to be admired, when everyone else seems to make it so stuffy and over-intellectualised.

 

[eugenius]

Slow week at work here, which means a whole lot of youtube clips..

And I have to say...I don't think he ever put on a bad show at Lanvin. His shows always spanned the quality gamut from good to great...never mediocre, and certainly never plain old bad. And that's judging by the clothes & accessories themselves. I remember the conensus here about his last collection was rather negative, but I thought it was actually one of his better ones.

I wonder if the folks at YSL ever thought, "We could've had all of this, but instead, we got the Texan."

 

[THD96]

I wonder if the folks at YSL ever thought, "We could've had all of this, but instead, we got the Texan."

Why are you being shady .

The Texan was done a really good job for YSL. I even prefer his stint at YSL over his Gucci. He has some good memorable moments there, especially that glorious departure collection.

If anything Kering should question themselves why didn't they hire Albert in 2016.

Anyway, F/W2007 is still an untouchable collection for me.

 

[LadyJunon]

Here's a compilation of Lanvin's shows under Alber Elbaz's direction. It's interesting to see how show production and casting changed over the span of 14 years. Seraphin Ducellier directed the show videos and continued to work with Ossendrijverr after Elbaz's departure. He has also done cinematography for Ghesquiére's Balenciaga and Pilati's YSL, but the cinematography is on a completely different level here. I tried my best to find each show in decent quality with the original soundtracks and finalised video, but it was possible for some older shows.

Part 1 (2002 - 2006)

Fall 2002



Spring 2003 (not original soundtrack)



Fall 2003 (unofficial video)



Spring 2004



Fall 2004 (unofficial video)



Spring 2005



Fall 2005



Spring 2006



Fall 2006



Spring 2007