Last month, Lanvin moved its HQ and atelier to the 10th arrondissement—a few buildings down the street from Acne Studios—while also announcing its new CEO (how about a warm welcome for Barbara Werschine). Amidst these developments, it seems Peter Copping has remained focused like the pro that he is, turning out collections that are both conscientious towards the heritage of the house and the women of today who gravitate towards sophisticated yet unfussy clothes.
For this pre-collection that arrives in November, he noted how “looking inward” did not mean looking backward, and how the Lanvin wardrobe boils down to useful pieces that are distinctively designed. See: the contoured denim caban with exaggerated cuffs that is styled in these photos like a mini-dress (versus wearing it with cigarette pants, he suggested); a weightless, off-white shirt-dress; and beautifully engineered knit silhouettes with intricate ruffle and pleat details. He mentioned “displacing volumes” regarding a dress that followed the body down the front and billowed away from it down the back; in profile, the outcome was especially pleasing.
If the lineup holds its own without an overarching theme, Copping revealed there was, in fact, a muse: Andrée Putman, the late, illustrious designer whose interior architecture projects—primarily her hotels and retail spaces—were the epitome of cosmopolitan chic through the late ’80s and ’90s. While the angular tailoring and a full-length jersey dress with glistening sequin shoulders, as well as the placement of jewelry and the pairing of tights with heels, gave off the sleek aura of Andrée, Copping found several examples where her designs and/or aesthetic and those of Jeanne Lanvin overlapped. There’s a photo of Putman behind a desk that once apparently belonged to Lanvin, and he also believes that the former’s vision for the carpet that lined the aisles of the Concorde resembled a geometric motif in the latter’s bathroom, which Copping referenced in his debut show. “I like when these things fall into place, like complete serendipity,” he said of the two women.
For all the polish of the crisp cotton jacket with double-pleated sleeves or the floor-grazing gowns (the tiered number in crimson was a stunner), several looks were deliberately designed to be comfortable and pragmatic: Vichy pieces in stretchy, swimsuit material; a button-front shirt that cut away at the décolleté (no bunching!), and dresses that were travel-friendly. You need not be of Putman fame to appreciate how Copping was simplifying such put-together style.
If you have noticed that there are just two pant silhouettes here, Copping assured that the coming season will be more trouser-forward. Whatever else he is planning for the next show, there’s a subtle momentum building here.
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