When Lanvin menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver was an art student in Amsterdam he found a sport’s jacket in a flea market, he bought it, took it home and then started taking it apart. He studied each piece because he “…just wanted to know how everything was made.” And, how it came together. He’s still the same now and more so: after 12 years at the house that need to know and hunger to understand the engineering and logistics of a garment and create new ways with old traditions compels him. Under Ossendrijver the house menswear line has flourished and developed its own signature. It’s one where tradition and modernity smash. It can be dark and gothic but always chic. It speaks of city life and clothes for the commute and has a successful business selling the house eveningwear. That’s one thing he and his atelier have really understood: modern evening – the wool and cashmere mix jackets in a cool shape and roomier on the sleeves are the best on the market. For spring then a slightly looser shaped trouser and jacket; a lot of volume in some. Tailoring was cut up and left on show and examined. The best were those which folded in tech-wear details: a Nylon patch pocket; heat sealed seams and so on. This smart jacket meets running track is a theme across many brands for spring. The tech-y rainwear was superb: one mid-thigh length coat had lozenge-shapes on the back; this looked to have it’s roots in motocross-wear. Had Ossendrijver been unpicking jackets again? The styling: a triumph and some tricksy and clever moves with a coat belt threaded through, under and over other garments was a lesson to all show stylists.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
