March 8, 2022 |
What could Art Deco and Ancient Egypt possibly have in common? Lanvin has the answer. For its autumn/winter 2022 collection, the heritage fashion house drew from the defining aesthetics of the aforementioned, simultaneously nostalgic and modern.
While a cat’s head was translated to the top-handle of the Smile bag and gold jewellery felt archaic, high-octane old Hollywood glamour appeared in fragile, silk and lace dresses, voluminous tulle skirting and sleek tuxedos. Consulting the archives of Jeanne Lanvin, creative director Bruno Sialelli played with the paradox of contradicting textures, transparencies and eras. Asymmetric cocktail dresses were sharply tailored or extravagantly embroidered and bedazzled. Elsewhere, cashmere knits melted into heavy-weight silk panné velvet that was bonded to jersey, smooth like buttermilk.
There were also sneakers fused with formal shoes, sportswear designed in celebration of couture and calfskin blended with lustrous satin. Distinctly Parisian, two stunning mesh gowns closed the collection in black and cream, simultaneously prepared for a fashionable funeral and whimsical wedding.
From start to finish, vibrant aquamarine and fuchsia mingled with bejewelled tulip blooms in crimson and cobalt that were created with Judith Leiber as part of an ongoing collaboration. Covered in crushed velvet and donning polka dot stockings that came paired with platform Mary Janes, models starred in a six minute short film, rather than a classic catwalk, and it felt utterly referent to Film Noir. The smoke and mirrors illusion of the cinema, especially during the interwar period of the early 20th century, served as another source of inspiration this season. But in truth, it felt evocative of the conflicted, post-pandemic world we live in today.
Photography courtesy of Lanvin.
