Lanvin
PARIS, March 2, 2008
By Sarah Mower
If there is one collection that encapsulated everything that's best about Fall—and gave it a high degree of personal expression—it would be Alber Elbaz's for Lanvin. You want the simplicity of a stark, covered-up, carved-out silhouette? It's here. You're craving a dose of multifaceted opulence with it? That's here, too. And what about a sexy, simple evening dress powerful enough to force you to spend, no matter how much? Look no further.In one way, Elbaz's collection was a feat of technical genius. He'd started off by making fabric out of strips of grosgrain ribbon, winding hundreds of meters of the stuff around the body to make shapely dresses, blouses, and skirts—a step on from the free-flowing plissés of his Summer collection. What makes him so special, however, is the humility and realism of his focus. Instead of getting lost in the detail, he said, "Part of a designer's job is to be pragmatic. Not to be ashamed to think about making life easy for a woman."
The result was a tour de force of innovation and simplicity sparkled up with the most outrageously excessive jewelry—door knocker-sized crystals, slabs of gilt, giant cuffs. Every calibration of usefulness was represented, from plain wool work-ready day dresses and pantsuits through knockout fur and patent coats, asymmetric body-molding cocktail options right up to blindingly brilliant dresses made of vertical ribbons loaded with gold sequins. In a season when so many have anxiously cast around for what women will want in a recession, Elbaz has intuited the best answer of all: Give us restraint, give us pragmatism, but never slam the door on the possibility of utter gorgeousness.
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Fall 2008 Ready-to-Wear
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3.1 Phillip Lim 6267 -
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D&G Daks by Giles Deacon Daryl K Daughters Dennis Basso Derek Lam Derercuny Diane von Furstenberg DKNY Dolce & Gabbana Donna Karan Doo.Ri Douglas Hannant Dries Van Noten Dsquared² Duro Olowu -
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Eley Kishimoto Elie Saab Elie Tahari Emanuel Ungaro Emilio Pucci Emporio Armani Erdem Erin Fetherston Etro -
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Fendi Francesco Scognamiglio -
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Gareth Pugh Giambattista Valli Gianfranco Ferré Giles Giorgio Armani Givenchy Gucci -
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Haider Ackermann Halston Hermès Hervé Léger by Max Azria House of Holland -
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Iceberg Isaac Mizrahi -
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Kai Kühne Karen Walker Karl Lagerfeld Katy Rodriguez Koi Suwannagate Kris Van Assche Krystof Strozyna -
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L'Wren Scott Lacoste Lanvin La Perla Lela Rose Limi Feu Louise Goldin Louis Vuitton Luca Luca Luella Luisa Beccaria -
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Naeem Khan Narciso Rodriguez Nathan Jenden Nicole Miller Nina Ricci -
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Paul Smith Peter Jensen Peter Som Phi Philosophy Pollini Ports 1961 Prada Preen Pringle of Scotland Proenza Schouler -
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Salvatore Ferragamo Sari Gueron Shipley & Halmos Sinha-Stanic Sonia Rykiel Sophia Kokosalaki Stærk Stella McCartney Stephen Burrows Sue Stemp -
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Tao Temperley London Thakoon Threeasfour Todd Lynn Tommy Hilfiger Topshop Unique Tory Burch Tracy Reese TSE Tuleh -
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Valentino Vera Wang Vera Wang Lavender Label Veronique Branquinho Versace Viktor & Rolf Vivienne Tam Vivienne Westwood Vivienne Westwood Red Label VPL -
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Zac Posen Zero + Maria Cornejo
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