Well and truly gone is the big hulking male model of yesteryear.
In its place is one Paris trend started two years ago by Hedi Slimane: thin is in. The skinny near-adolescent model look, with the grouchy rebellious walk that now defines the French-Tunisian’s aesthetic continued in Sunday’s show, making “skinny” the final fashion statement, capped menswear spring-summer shows.
But there was another major house, Lanvin, who picked up the trend this season sending young, skinny models down the catwalk with a fine, slim silhouette.
Ironically enough, generous helpings of sugared brioche were served to fashionistas prior to the Left Bank Fine Arts School morning show. The often-misquoted Marie Antoinette quip as the legend has it that was said to spur on the French Revolution sprung to mind, as the wafer-thin clothes-horses filed by: “Let them eat brioche!”
Designer Lucas Ossendrijver has an eye for chic. An enviable stone grey-colour slim suede jacket with tassels cut a fine figure in the Lanvin display, with the sleeves rolled up and the collar worn vertical, 1970s-style.
Diaphanous blue silken three-quarter coats elsewhere sported fantastic sheer black tulle panelling at the back.
But in style terms, the Lanvin collection — which started with the rock codes of the ‘60s and ‘70s, flirted with the high-waisted trousers of the ‘50s, and ended up with a sporty, contemporary vibe — felt almost too exhaustive to be pinned down properly.
Also the models, the youngest and skinniest seen in a Lanvin show in recent memory, meant that the showed lacked some of the dark, sensuous virility that defined previous seasons.
Still, the materials, like shimmering viscose silk, and beautiful silken scarfs made sure this collection did not stray from Lanvin’s gold-standard of luxury.