PARIS - Lanvin headlined the last day of the Paris menswear shows on Sunday with a rock-and-roll inspired collection billed as anti-uniform, before Versace kicks off six days of haute couture.
"Freedom to choose" was the byword for menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver, with pants both slim and wide, waistlines high and low, and classic tailoring and streetwear paired with coloured sneakers and chunky-knit scarves.
"It's not about a single look, or a single man. It's about individuality," said Lanvin's creative director Alber Elbaz after the show, where the actor Will Smith sat front row.
Elbaz took the uniform as starting point for the line.
"It's the opposite of what makes people happy," he said. "You have to be yourself."
Shows by Paul Smith and Saint Laurent were to wrap up the Paris men's fashion, before a late evening show by Versace which opens six days of haute couture collections -- showcasing jaw-dropping creations aimed at A-list stars and the world's richest women.
More than 40 years after the death of its founder, Italy's legendary house Schiaparelli makes a much-anticipated comeback to haute couture Monday, under the Italian designer Marco Zanini.
Elsa Schiaparelli, who died in 1973, was among fashion's most prominent figures between the two world wars and became Coco Chanel's biggest rival.
Haute couture is a legally protected appellation in France subject to strict criteria such as the amount of work carried out by hand, and the size of a house's workforce.
Altogether, 15 French houses including Dior and Chanel will be showing couture collections, along with six foreign labels and 10 guests including Britain's Ralph & Russo and Belgian designer Serkan Cura.
source: interaksyon.com
