Lanvin

Falling snow blanketed the courtyard outside the Beaux Arts where Lanvin menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver and creative director Alber Elbaz showed their fall collection. Once inside, waiters served hot coffee and muffins to guests for the morning’s presentation.

Music blasted from the speakers and broke the rather serene atmosphere, and out came an extremely versatile collection–one that ranged from very fitted plaid suits with pants as tight as leggings to slouchy double breasted jackets. Brown and blue leather trimmed duffle coats were perfect for the current Paris freeze.

Colorful sneakers lent the collection a sporty look. These new winter shoes paired well with these precisely cut and tightly tailored suits–though there seemed to be less of an emphasis on innovative tech fabrics this season.

Flashes of red broke up a gloomy dark palette. I liked the lavender organza dress shirt worn with slim black pants–a sexy alternative to the usual stuffy evening tuxedos.

At times, the show felt like it was veering from one extreme to another: From very tight to very loose silhouettes to a combination of both. While presenting contrasting proportions may be considered a ‘no-no’ for fashion shows, Lanvin menswear focuses on innovative clothes for a diverse range of customers. There will be plenty more offerings for retail that weren’t shown on the runway.