Anyone who is searching out that elusive Parisian je ne sais quoi need look no further than the house of Lanvin. Alber Elbaz knows what, and if he could bottle the esprit of his exquisite spring collection, he’d be a gazillionaire. Jeanne Lanvin, the label’s namesake, did just that in 1925, when she launched her first perfume, My Sin. But while he plays off the moody sophistication of that heritage, Elbaz also does clothes there that are thoroughly his own. They’re of the moment, but full of character, like clothes with a backstory.
Elbaz’s main message was one of pumped-up volume, and though inflating their cuts is the way other designers have pushed the boundaries and been burned, with a little pouf here and a little puff there, Elbaz’s vision looked tantalizing. On top, he proposed a featherweight mock parka or a jacket cinched at the waist. Meanwhile, he tinkered with a variety of ample skirt silhouettes — from full circle skirts to those shaped like an upside-down champagne flute — because there are a multitude of ways to dress beautifully chez Lanvin. The original Lanvin once described her craft as a way to “contribute to the spell of femininity.” Come spring, Elbaz’s devoted clientele are sure to think they’ve died and gone to party-dress heaven. His were some of the best of the week, and included intricately sculpted, pleated dresses perfect for any goddess in training and those done in a loose, vaguely Twenties style.
Throughout it all, Elbaz maintained the luxe, the romance and the mysterious chic he’s brought to the brand. Madame Jeanne would have been proud.