History, inclusivity and a series of covetable accessories, Lanvin’s AW20 show had it all…
One of France’s oldest surviving fashion houses, Lanvin was founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin. A self-made woman who became one of the most influential designers of the 1920s, Jeanne was renowned for her intricate embroidery and beading in soft, floral shades that became a Lanvin trademark.
For autumn/winter 2020, creative director Bruno Sialelli appeared to revive the iconic Lanvin Legacy — which has been lacking in recent years due to financial and creative turmoil — in a collection that drew on the rich heritage of the house and marked a step forward for both Sialelli’s Lanvin, and fashion.
Staged in the Paris’s Manufacture des Gobelins, a historic tapestry factory founded by Louis XIV, models strutted past some of France’s most acclaimed tapestries adorned in clothes exuding with French flair.
There was twenties inspired eveningwear dripping in pearls and beading, floaty dresses in tapestry-esque prints, feminine tailoring and elegant outwear; including capes, curvilinear coats and fur collars — effortlessly wearable silhouettes for every occasion.
While the chic tailoring ushered in a new era for Lanvin, via classic bourgeois codes reworked into modern styles, the accessories paid homage to Jeanne Lanvin. From evenings bags in the shape of perfume bottles and lipstick compacts, to ‘J’ wedge heels and pâtisseries style box bags in teal, maroon and tan.
One of fashion months most inclusive runways so far, the catwalk cast included models of all sizes and ethnicities, including Moroccan-British Nora Attal, Dutch-Egyptian-Moroccan model Imaan Hammam and hijab model Ugbad Abdi.
Bruno Sialell seemed to find in his stride in his third collection for the house, as the AW20 show revealed trademark Lanvin looks with a contemporary twist for the modern woman, worn by every woman.
