Under the painted, and skylit, dome of the Paris stock exchange

We always look forward to the Lanvin show–it’s typically a high point of any men’s week in Paris. The team of creative director Alber Elbaz and menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver seems to have established a forward-moving momentum producing relevant, chic and desirable clothes. So as we filed into the Bourse (the Paris stock exchange), expectations were high.

And we weren’t disappointed: from beginning to end, it was a powerful show, as Lucas adroitly wove together all the major trends of men’s week into one handsome and coherent collection. There were military references (in taupe, khaki, brown and grey), followed by splashes of color (saffron yellow, petrol blue, coral, wine and purple) and even a few abstract prints (but nothing approaching the wildness of, say, Bernhard Willhelm).

There was remarkable tailoring on display, too, from jackets with sharp, roped-up shoulders to incredibly slim trousers. But there were also suits cut from soft, and colorful, fabrics–not remotely “corporate”, but still handsome and masculine (although those abbreviated shorts may have gone a bit far).

Alber Elbaz and Lucas Ossendrijver take a bow

Susan with Catherine Baba

Susan with Alber Elbaz

Alber and Lucas stepped out to great applause–and in a post-show interview, Lucas explained that he’d wanted to dress an “army for peace.” Meanwhile, Alber made a beeline for our group and smilingly posed for pictures. He’s always happy and relieved when a show ends–until it’s on to the next one!

–– Mark Grischke

Photographs by Stephane Israël