I don't get the Chanel comments. To me, Chanel under Karl Kagerfeld = Kitschy. Occasionally it's cute, but most of the time I hate it (pastel tweed suits?).
Lanvin's Spring collections tend to be stronger. The bejewelled dresses (SS03), seamless frocks (SS04), and goddessy gowns (SS05) that put Lanvin back on the map were all made in spring.
This show is pretty good compared to AW04, but like AW04, it could benefit from better editing. I esp. wasn't fond of the flow of the presentation--it's got a lot of hidden treasures and beautiful pieces if you look closely, but the whole show wasn't particularly memorable. Come to think of it, Balenciaga prob. has the best presentation. Regardless of the design, it has always been able to declare its theme and make a strong impact from the first few looks. Lanvin needs that. I was not a fan of their AW03 collection which opened with a red pleated dress worn by Natalia, but that was prob. the best edited winter collection for Lanvin.
But I'm glad that he's done with those puffy coats/skirt suits in fuschia [sp] or yelllow.
Style.com mentioned that Lanvin was handicapped by the absence of top models, which were booked at Louis Vuitton and Valentino. Hm, that's strange. Agencies wouldn't consider Lanvin one of the hottest label of the moment? Plus, they've got Lily Donaldson, who opened one of the other high-profiled shows too.
The jewels and the coats are fabulous:
Love these two looks:
This would've been so great if the model didn't look so clueless:
This look belongs to Eugenia Volodina:
But Diana Dondoe did just fine. Surprising, since she's about 5"8 only.