Alber Elbaz's days of taking his Lanvin pre-collections on the road are over, at least for the time being. At an atelier presentation in Paris today, he said he preferred a comfortable couch and a candid conversation. Based on how editors and buyers lingered to chat, we'd say Elbaz isn't the only one eager to slow down and connect with his fellow man and woman. The clothes he showed had a similar intimacy. Loaded up with colorful crystal pendants or brooches and paired with men's oxfords or knee-high boots, the outfits had an irreverent, personal touch, like they'd been pulled out of the closet of a gal with incredible taste, not yanked from the fitting room mere hours ago.
In most cases, the mix was the message. The cropped jacket of a pinstripe pantsuit was worn over a loden green coat dotted with feathers, while a gold leather toggle coat with a jaunty hood topped a short floral brocade dress. The most fabulous look combined a dusty pink fox-fur jacket, a black feather-strewn T-shirt, and a long wrap skirt in a gray tone leopard print. Glam casual. More simply, a black leather snap-front shirt was paired with a faux black leather full skirt. Lots of ideas, not least of all the notion that personal style is a thing to be nurtured and cultivated, just like our precious little downtime.
