With an unshakable reputation for creating ravishing clothes that women dream about wearing, Alber Elbaz was in a less aggressive mood than usual for Lanvin S/S 2011 collection. We are being used to see seductive, almost dominating women at Lanvin with tons of heavy and exuberant accessories and flashy colors. Yet this time, everything was toned down. There weren't much explosions of bright oranges and pinks, no more crazy bracelets and thousands of necklaces around their neck, or even killer heels.
Still, if you look closely, this collection is quite major. Indeed I feel that there's an undeniable discreet refinement here. All the long skirts at the beginning worn with super tight tops, emphasize the ease and movement of the silhouette. Mr. Elbaz also worked a lot on volumes and proportions, through the woman suits, the caged tops, and the trench coats. The trends were all covered: pleating, neon, and nudes – and then a heavy metalwork set took over with origami silk cocktail dresses hung with bold silver and gold – and gladiator sandals are most definitely in for summer evening-wear. This was indeed a serious collection that, as dark as it was, lacking the swoon-worthy romance we usually associate with this label, but it was still unfailingly beautiful, from the man who builds a dress like no other.
