Lanvin S/S 2015

Lucas Ossendrijver had the classical mother and daughter silhouette in Jeanne Lanvin’s logo on his mind, speeding out models through two freestanding wooden doorways - one big, one small - in the spectacular Beaux-Arts salon. Ossendrijver was thinking of the way city boys travel - on bikes and metros, with rolled up sleeves and a bag slung over one shoulder - which he addressed through garments constructed with a unique sense of techno-classicism. This season shook off any digital or ethnic forays to focus on the needs of the mobile city slicker, nuanced in a palette of industrial greys, night sky blues, wine and forest green tones (bar the pop of traffic light red and ice blue). The doorway metaphor was echoed in a play with garment proportions – like the giant grosgrain belts or waistbands slung around generous trousers, or the way a hooded, silk nylon parka was cropped into a bomber. The finessed mix of soft and strict designs ensured a layered lightness to this outing. Lucas’ expert double-face construction and longline tailoring found its deconstructed match in the loose, threaded topstitching and uneven leather fringes that frayed off seams and hemlines, for a raw and primal allure.

Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans