It all kicked off with a rainbow mini-series of curvy coloured dresses green, purple, yellow, red, blue, orange, turquoise sculpted in felted wool, all peplums, pleats and undulating collars.
After that he had a field day with almost every permutation of party dress imaginable. Lanvin Woman doesnt do trousers, shes all about The Dress. And these came out thick and fast, from body-con dresses embellished with giant gem stones to sophisticated drapes, punchy prints, ruffles, studs, fur, leather, lace And in the mix a few spontaneous coats cinched with belts that featured a lions head the size of a doorknocker.
This was an all-out homage to Lanvin Woman that most feminine of creatures whose image he has honed and for whom he has tirelessly created this past decade.
Elbaz is a designer who has always done things his way. Not for him the po-faced show invitation his came with a doodled self-portrait, wearing his trademark glasses and bowtie and surrounded by scribbled love hearts. Not for him the distant wave at the end of the runway he likes to bound out and in this case belt out a song, too. And not for him the type of fashion that requires a manual to understand them his are joyful, effortless, sexy, glamorous and chic; they transcend seasonal fads and ultimately aim to flatter.
Alber, we salute you!