Lanvin Spring 2010

You’ve got to love Alber Elbaz. Not only for being one of the most adorable creatures I can think of, but for his relentless celebration of the female form and spirit. Sure, there is nothing revolutionary here by Lanvin terms, but it is gorgeous no less. The last few collections were heavily decadent and while this is along the same lines, there are a lot of playful elements mixed in which make it covetable. It’s playful, complimentary and has such a powerful and sexy presence… a sure fire recipe to making a woman feel like a million bucks.

Lanvin Fall 2009

Alber really hit it out of the ballpark with this collection. Sure, there is little to nothing here that we haven’t seen at one point or another from Lanvin… however, it so spectacular. A veritable culmination of the best of the brand, this collection screams Lanvin in all it’s glory and why Elbaz proves time again that he is the only man for the job.

Carrying over from his beautiful pre-fall collection, the overall theme is once again decadence. The over the top jewelry, luxurious fabrics and circa 1940’s Parisian styling updated for 2009 work so well together and make this collection a serious work of beauty. One of the best bits, however, is that amongst this rich vibe, there is a slight quirk about it all which gives it such a gorgeous feel overall.

Not only are the furs he chose of amazing quality, the placement of them and detailing of the pieces is so impressive. I love to see fantastic furs with the larger than life necklaces creating a way too done up sort of look – because when I reach the point in my life where I am actually living (my inevitable future since birth) as the scary old gypsy cat lady of the neighborhood… this is totally how I am going to dress. :p

I have to specifically mention the long, slender cut gowns, because that silhouette is so fantastic and you don’t see it much at all in today’s collections, which is unfortunate. Anyway this silhouette looks so amazing here. One of the long dresses is even made of velour – the inbred cousin of fabrics – and it, too, looks amazing. Basically, this collection is beautiful… from the fabrics, to the styling, to the inspiration, the jewelry… everything is lovely.

Lanvin Pre-Fall 2009

Oh, Mr. Elbaz, thank you. I was really scared after Spring’s frankly cheap looking collection… but this not only reinstated my love and faith in his vision for Lanvin, but it’s actually stunning above and beyond that. The rich fabrics, the heavy styling and mucho accessories – it’s overtly luxurious and I love it. I would love to kidnap him, pinch his cheeks and buy him a pink and blue swirl lollipop for this collection. Yeah, sure… we are in a recession. But do I want to look like I am? No. Bring on the decadence, I say.

I am absolutely in love with the fur coats/bolero here because, while I’m very glad fur has made a comeback, I see a lot of cheap looking pieces out there currently (even if their price tag is not), but these are phenomenal and I love what he’s conveying with them. The huge dramatic collars warm my cold soul and paired with the slouchy gloves and draped fabrics… oh yes! I love how the color palette is completely out shined by the wide array of different textured fabrics; they all give off a different effect, therefore rendering layered blacks to almost appear as different shades. This effect, paired with the impressively strategic use of metallics and the intense gathering in all the right places sends my mind into overdrive.