Paris Fashion Week: Alber Elbaz puts on Lanvin show that fuses the rural ideal with a relaxed sense of cocktail hour dressing

The show comes before an exhibition charting the life of Jeanne Lanvin opens this weekend
Alber Elbaz put on a show of which Jeanne Lanvin would have been proud
Emma McCarthy6 March 2015

One of Paris's most prestigious French fashion houses began a weekend of anniversary celebrations last night with a show dedicated to the heritage of its leading designers.

With a collection which took the aesthetic of its founding designer Jeanne Lanvin as a starting point, Lanvin fused country codes with an affection for relaxed cocktail hour dressing.

Jodhpurs were made suitable for evening through the addition of a tuxedo stripe while velvet riding jackets, pony skin coats and fringe-trimmed capes were key for outerwear. It was an effortless approach to elegance of which Jeanne Lanvin would have been proud.

Lanvin at Paris Fashion Week

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But there was much of the heritage of Lanvin's current creative designer Alber Elbaz on display too.

Clearly keen to celebrate his own roots, the Moroccan-born designer presented tassel belted gowns and flowing Grecian dresses with leather harnesses, metallic appliqué and geometric print.

Hats, which have long been a cornerstone for the brand, were a focus in this show. Riding caps came with an appliqué motif while wide brim styles created in stiff wool were embellished with sparkling crystals.

This weekend, an exhibition charting the life of Jeanne Lanvin is to open at the Palais Galleria with a star-studded party.

The retrospective of the French fashion icon, who founded her brand 125 years ago making it the oldest fashion house in Paris still in business, will offer the public the chance to view iconic designs through the decades. The house has also been raising awareness of its milestone birthday with a campaign featuring unseen archive photos spanning all its social media platforms.

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