H I G H EN D F AS H I O N M EETS STREET ST Y LE

REALITY
Fall Winter 2012 Issue #4

Alexander McQueen 2012 Fall Winter Collection Paris Fashion Week Photographed by Kevin Tachman

MARC JACOBS 08 DKNY 16 ALEXANDER WANG 22

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EDITOR'S LETTER_BIG BOOK
MAKE FASHION YOUR OWN

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HERMS 30 GIVENCHY 36 LANVIN 44

Editors Letter

Make Fashion Your Own

Fashion, no matter how chic, is incomplete until you make it your own, be it with a trusty cashmere cardigan or a signature tangle of chains. Something Ive learned after all these years in the industry is that no two women wear any piece, say, a cheetah-print dress, in quite the same way. Thats the beauty of what happens when a garment enters real life from a glossy magazine page. And so Ive always aimed to make Bazaar about enhancing a womans personal style. Lucky for me, its one thing my team has in spades. Even though we are in the business of trends, the Harpers Bazaar staff isnt made up of slavish followers of the runways many dictates. Instead, they bring their own character to their wardrobes. Ive been convinced since eighth grade that you are what you wear. So much so that when I went to a luncheonette and unexpectedly ran into the boy I had a crush on in drama class, I was sure I knew why he fumbled his soda. Clearly it was because I was sporting the new mod look, which Id cribbed from the latest issue of Seventeen magazine: purple bell bottoms and a white tie-at-the-neck blouse with, yes(cringe), sheer stripes. In my mind, I was now a suburban Helen of Troy: One glimpse of me caused boys to falter. Which leaves me, I suppose, with more than the average psychological baggage about what I wear. For years I stashed away favorite pieces, hoping to pass them along to my fashion-minded daughter. But when Lake made it clear that she had other aspirations, I gave away those old pieces and today try to keep my clothing footprint neutral, removing one old item for each new purchase. I may even be ready to try deputy editor Jennifer Braunschweigers ingenious closet project (page 52), in which you distill your style by forcing yourself to wear each item in your work wardrobe and see how it makes you feel. But heres the question: Am I really ready to part with that floral dress I wore to the party my staff threw for me when I left my first editor-in-chief job? Finally, am I prepared to let go of my younger self and move on? Memo to the More staff: Buckle your seat belts; its going to be a bumpy ride. I hope you enjoy this exploration and its everlasting fountain of inspiration.

Heejin Suh,
Editor-in-Chief

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Marc Jacobs
Cat in The Hat meets Kurt Cobain

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Model Thairine Garcia is wearing Marc Jacobs light grey coat and black leather inner with black pants and yellow leather shoes

Backed by the financial might of LVMH, Jacobs provides New York Fashion Week with its only full-tilt fashion moment. Yet again hes pulled that rabbit from his hat, courtesy of some mega millinery in multi-coloured fur, puritan clothes in Technicolour, zingy paisley and an enormous origami creepy-castle set by the artist Rachel Feinstein. Analysing whether anyone fancies wearing some diamante-buckled, high-heeled pilgrim shoes or a tiger-print Jamiroquai-ish hat is not the point: this was an exercise in considered craziness, Cat in The Hat meets Kurt Cobain (said Jacobs), a spectacle for the sheer what-the-hell sake of it.

Its quite something when a designer can send an audience tripping out into the night humming a cheerful ditty and feeling theyve just seen the best show in town. That was exactly the happy sensation Marc Jacobs, fashion impresario, generated in a New York event which merged fashion with theater on a grand but curiously sweet scale. To the tune of Who Will Buy? (the Lionel Bart song from the musical Oliver!), repeated in three versions (one of them Nancy Sinatra, another the Mormon Tabernacle Choir), he put on a crazily eccentric show of cartoony Victoriana which oughtnt to have made sense on any level, but ended up putting smiles on faces and lifting spirits. It was fashion subverted from its usually ruthless clockwork-commercial course: anti-sexy, absurdly styled with outsize wonky fur hats and cumbersomely non-body-conscious shapesa show made, subversively, for the naive enjoyment of it. And of course that only accentuated the thrill of watching a fifteen-minute parade that reestablished the radical idea that fashion can still be free to be creative and cross over with art. The artist in question was Jacobss friend Rachel Feinstein, who jammed with him on far more than the amazing rickety-house set she built for the show. We were talking about The Cat in the Hat, pilgrims, American conservatism, Jacobs was saying, amid a teeming crowd backstage after the show. The tinsel, he added, was from a photograph of Kurt Cobain, wearing tinsel round his neck. And whats with the fur hats? someone shouted. Ah! I think every woman should have a fur coat, Jacobs shot back. Only now she should wear it on her head! With Lionel Bartssoaring lyrics, Whowill buy this wonderful feeling? Im so high, I swear I could fly! from the musical Oliver! on the soundtrack, one couldnt help butimaginethe models as chic streeturchins and flower sellers,nannies and grannies, inoutsized hats, color-saturated tinsel tweedfrock coats andskirts, crocheted sweaters,argyle socksand pilgrimshoes with enormous rhinestone buckles. Themadcap combinations, clashing colors and prints, also called to mind thesurging bloggerclass of fashion fan boys andgirls,the Tavi Gevinson,Susie Bubbleand Bryan Boys of the world, and their wide-eyed Hollywood

compatriots, like Dakota Fanning, who was sitting front row.For that generation, fashion isnt so much about money and status as it is about personal peacockery, the louder the better. If one wanted to squeeze a fashion trend out of the performance, it might be possible to say that the clothes added to the current conversation about the up-sizing of garments. The many coats came with exaggerated bell-shaped skirts and another layer of felted and embellished skirt beneath them, often with knitted or crocheted stoles wrapped around the shoulders and pinned with a giant safety pin. Often the girls took on the look of dolls whose owners had dressed them up in clothes too big for them. At other moments, they seemed to be Victorian urchins, but playfully, theatrically so. And there was nothing at all downbeat about the richness and embellishment going on in the clothes: tweeds woven with plastic and tinsel, bright sparkly lam, oversize glittery paisley-patterned jacquards, and multiple, playful combinations of greens, lavender, ocher, pinks, reds, gray, and black. Stripped down to its individual pieces, theres no doubt there will be a wealth of things for girls to wear in their own combinations. But that pragmatic fact wasnt the main lesson here: It was that Jacobs put the fun back into fashion, and that was elating to see. There was nothing jaded here, just pure, unabashed fashion funas if Jacobs was trying to remind us all of why we got into this business, because we love dressing up. Backed by the financial might of LVMH, Jacobs provides New York Fashion Week with its only full-tilt fashion moment. Year after year, watching a Marc Jacobs runway show is exactly what whimsical film depicts tumbling down the rabbit hole to be like. For the designers Fall 2012 showcase however, that depiction is just a tad more literal; indeed, we do end up in what appears to be Alices Wonderland. An eccentric mix of oversized hats, various colors, shoes(both high and low) boasting oversized buckles, and a surrounding that could easily be mistaken for Whoville make this collection what every woman wants her wardrobe to be: A fantasy.

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MARC JACOBS 2012 Fall Winter Collection New York Fashion Week Photographed by Kevin Tachman ARTICLE by Luke Leitch

DKNY
loved that bandeau belt

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Gosh, I really loved that bandeau belt they had.

The fact that there is never a cab around when you need one is a constant gripe of all New Yorkers; the fight to catch one during Fashion Week is a sideshow in itself. There is one place, however, youre always likely to find a yellow taxi these days, and thats at the DKNY show, where for the past few seasons, a cab has been parked at the top of the runway and rolls onto the street. Today has undoubtedly been the coldest day this week, and as the army of models swept in from the sidewalk, they brought with them a frosty chill, and fashion editors in the front row huddled together to keep warm. Wearing a shiny black leather and shearling coat fastened securely around the neck, the first model that walked into the spotlight was more appropriately dressed than most for a cold New York winter. That high, wind-shielding collar ran through the entire collection, sometimes worn as a detachable scarf atop one-button blazers with leather sleeves and black dresses with flirty leather peplum insets. Indeed, if there is one insulating top layer set to topple fashions current love of fur this seasonjudging from what weve seen of fall thus farits leather. It appears all over the collection, from the head-to-toe look of a skirt suit to the embossed croc corset-like belts cinching a cozy puffer. That being said, the strongest message to come through for fall resonates at the brands very core. Its time for the young, city-dwelling DKNY girl to go back to black. In the 20-plus years since the label launched, that idea of an urban uniform has became a universal, working dress code across the world. In that sense, its easy to forget that the all-black-everything look originated here with women like Donna Karan. When the designer emerged

Fashion conundrum of the day in sub-zero New York: when the temperature hits freezing how can a woman stay warm without looking like shes been mugged by a duvet? At DKNY, Donna Karan kicked this question to the kerb. Her answer: big, super-snug down-filled jackets rescued from shapelessness by tight, waist-hugging belts that in one case created a sort of peplum parka. To underline their qualifications as insulation, Karans models hit the catwalk direct from the kerb outsideand looked convincingly un-traumatised by the sub-zero winds that were flying in off the Hudson river. The parkad models were less fortunate. They looked great, but deserved danger-money for braving the gales in a collection that started with some no-nonsense city-wearslim fit trouser-suits in black and little kick-skirt dressesthen played (as last season) with florals and zingy coloured eveningwear. This time that floral was a rose on top of a dusky blue background. Along with a haircalf portfolio (answers on a postcard, please) the press release had promised a Beat Generation inspired collectionbut this was a troublesome thesis to substantiate, one black polo neck section on a leopard-heads black and white jumper apart. Had the gamines of Beat had dressed this sleekly, Kerouac would have been a lot less tortured. Ashley Greene, who plays Alice Cullen in the angst-narrative de nos jours, Twilight, attracted a vampire-pack of photographers. She is the star of the labels spring

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from the street to take her bow at the end of the show, she did so dressed in the shearling that opened the show; the consummate New Yorker through and through.

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campaignand hence minded to be gushy in her assessmentbut her analysis had bite.Gosh, I really loved that bandeau belt they had, she said:It gave everything this really cool edge. And I absolutely loved having it around those really big jackets. Listen: no-one wants to wear a puffy coatyoure in New Yorkand this gave it some shape.

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DKNY 2012 Fall Winter Collection New York Fashion Week Photograph by Kevin Tachman ARTICLE by Sharon Feiereisen

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ALEXANDER WANG
Tweed and fishnet

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Forget the references to NASCAR racing, BMX biking, and sports in his spring collection. Put aside categorizing perceptions about young, hip, contemporary wear. This fall, Alexander Wang broke out of any boundaries that might relegate him to the notional status of a junior-league champion of a fashion subset. His show on Saturday was a breakthrough: a collection with all the distinctions of proper, strong, and innovative design on a level of maturity which had the audience craning forward, engaged and curious from first look to last. Now, how to explain it? As so many shows have been in New York this week, it was chiefly an essay on outerwearthe coats and jackets that will take us through next winter looking a hell of a lot slicker and smarter than we do now. Wang dealt his vision of modern tailoring in graphic shapesrigorously narrow raincoats, biker jackets, and chesterfields(many hybridized with stiff hoods) paired with pants, slim mid-calf skirts with a center slit, or leather knee boots. Sounds simple? Hardly. The surface of every garment was textured in some amazing, eye-tricking way; cross-hatched or corrugated, gleaming or bubbled, plasticized or matte. As for the collection itself, it was minimalist and heavy on black with a few lighter moments. Most of the looks were monochrome and pieces were, for the most part, fashioned into stiff, almost robotic looks. Ironically, given the shows cast, most of the models walked the runway with mesh mouth covers, though

when the supers took to the runway they ended up taking them off before walking away. Even while hanging on a rack backstage, it was impossible, without an advanced degree in fabric technology, to understand how most of these garments had been constructed, only that they felt light, wearable, and weatherproof. It was those possibilities that excited Wang, allowing him to carry off such clever transpositions as turning an oxblood quilted sweater into a jacket substitute. Not that we were in art-house experimental territory. All these innovations were intercut with traditionally luxurious leather, sometimes sculpted into whole garments, like the sculptural down-filled jacket and vest (leather masquerading as nylon), or stripped onto the front of pants or skirts, with suede forming the back. Ultimately, what made this collection inspiring and compelling was the way Wang seamlessly merged all these elements without relying on a theme or narrative, or feeling any need to play to a mass-market gallery by checking off his best-sellers. When he turned to eveningwear, fusing leather bodices with draped chiffon or making silk fringe fly from shirting, he defied all clichs of cocktail dressing and red-carpet wear. None of it could be adequately labeled as a look, but that is no reflection on its coherencequite the opposite. Fashion is always at its most exciting when there arent quite the words to sum it up. Its then you know youre really looking at the future. Among the

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ALEXANDER WANG 2012 Fall Winter Collection New York Fashion Week Photograph by Riccardo Tisci ARTICLE BY Belinda White

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standout pieces were knee-high black boots(sure to be among next seasons must-haves), puffer vests, ankle-length trousers, fringe-accented dresses, ribbed patent leather jackets, and high-shine(sometimes high-slit) outerwear, which appeared almost armor-like and was often worn by the models as dresses. As for handbags, they were covetable as always. The new silhouettes are on the boxy side(somewhat reminiscent of Victoria Beckhams handbag silhouettes) and came in a variety of sizes.

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herms
layered-up, blown-up

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Herms shows a collection for travelling women who like to be confidently comfortable and chicly slouchy. Herms knows the value of longevity. Founded in 1837 Frances hautest leather house today presented a collection by Christophe Lemaire that was a carefully cultivated expression of ageless, pragmatic elegance. Jane Birkinwith her worry-bead accessorised Birkin bag on her lapsat in the front row and a cluster of women who were beautiful and significantly older than the current crop of modelsincluding Cecilia Chancellor, Marie-Sophie and Bamboowere on the catwalk. Presented in the ochre, galleried grandeur of the LEcole des Beaux-Arts, the models young and old walked a maze of rickety wooden chairs to a guitar solo that had something of The Doors about it. This was a collection for travelling women who like to be confidently comfortable and chicly slouchy. There was a South American touch in the cashmere fringed blankets which became enveloping cloaks, ponchos and coats. Trousers were wide, pleated and practically tucked into high ruched-leg leather boots. Most wore narrow-brimmed trilbies, a masculine touch that was expanded upon briefly one model who wore braces crossed against her chest. Cecilia Chancellor wore a loosely knotted tie, a cream shirt and voluminously grey gentlemanly coat and trousers. Lemaire, who is prone to the priestly, flirted briefly with some cowly outerwear but then went for some loose Carr-print blouses, trousers and cardigans. The prints included a great image of some antique, interestingly-turned walking sticks that rose from waist to shoulder and some detailed, delicate inlaid florals. There was plenty of suedein a wonderful russety red and deep bottle green as well as blackused in leather piped trousers and closely cut front-panelled dresses. There was, of course, a plane-load of bagsparticularly notable was a black briefcase with a large H relief on the side and a handy

shoulder-strap that was drawn from the Herms archive. Unlike so many other neophyte fashion houses, Herms understands that relentless emphasis upon nothing but the newor no-one but the young - is a short-term strategy. From capes and blanket coats and shawls trimmed in black leather fringes, to tailored jackets and oversized, manstyle coats and pants that ballooned from slouchy boots, there was a regal but decidedly relaxed feel to this collection. It was ultimately sophisticated and totally timeless. There was also a chic gaucho feel to the story, with many models wearing brimmed hats, and rich leather pieces that were exceptionally dapper. The colour palette ranged from deep greens and browns to warm spice tones. Soft suede tunics, wrapped coats, big leather belts, rich satin velvets, ponyskin and leather/knit combos all appeared, with a healthy helping of lovely silk prints. One in particular depicted a whimsical assortment of exotic walking sticks. Christophe Lemaire, whos in his third season designing for the illustrious house of Hermes, seems to be giving the Hermes customer just what she craves.I really believe that a relaxed feel can make for a very powerful way of dressing, Lemaire said post-show. And to illustrate his point, legendary style icon Jane Birkin, whose namesake Birkin bag has captivated women since it was created for the actress back in 1984, was standing by in what she calls her uniform. I usually wear mens pants, Birkin told me, pointing out her baggy cord trousers. But I always wear an Hermes lightweight sweater, and this fabulous, ages old Hermes trench, thats recently been re-lined. Birkin is a poster girl for the power of relaxed dressingprecisely the message Hermes seemed intent on conveying. In the cole Nationale Suprieure des Beaux-Arts, the venue for Christophe Lemaires third trot in the ring for

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equestrian deluxe brand Herms, Jane Birkin was politely fielding questions from the very few reporters who noticed her, sitting as she was unobtrusively in the corner. She was dressed in an oversize trench, a wide-necked cashmere sweatshirt, loose pants rolled up to reveal high-top sneakers, with a pretty, beaten-up version of her namesake bag, strung with chains and gewgaws, right at her feet. Birkin looked like she didnt have a care in the world, not least of all the fact that she wasnt in any way fretting about the condition of her purse, probably the most iconic in the world. Spiritually, the laid-back, louche stylings of the English actress/singer/enduring style icon hang over the house of Herms, but also, it would seem, how Christophe Lemaire was thinking about fall. It was a city-dwelling bohemian-tinged

late 1970s/early 1980s collision of layered-up, blown-up pieces (fringed tweedy shawls, side-pleated gaucho pants, enveloping robe coats in wool or arctic fox, a perfect and perfectly plain matte leather baseball blouson) touched with an old-school approach to androgynous dressing, as opposed to todays rattier, rocker idealcrisp white shirts, narrow silk smoking scarfs worn like mens ties, a slouchy double-breasted, drop-waist overcoat. (Incidentally, merci Christophe, for having the taste to cast that eternally gorgeous English boy-girl, Cecilia Chancellor, in your show.) Its about creating textures, really, said Lemaire afterward, to show the beauty of the materials we can use. Lemaires favorite momentand it was the best, unquestionablywas his ode to those very materials, stripping everything back to a more timeless idea of

HERM S 2012 Fall Winter Collection PARIS Fashion Week Photograph by Kelly Heck ARTICLE BY Lisa Armstrong

what the house can be; specifically, a couple of deep green suede and leather coats, collarless, and straight cut,fastening either with snaps or a zipper, the kind of pieces that others aspire to make, but somehow only ever come out right when theyre created by Hermss stellar artisans. There was evening toole petit soir, Lemaire called it, Herms is not about ball gownswith geometric and jockey print scarf silks used for little gilets, soft tunic dresses, and wide crop pants, worn one against the other in a head-to-toe cacophony of pattern that came about because Lemaire had been thinking about Gustav Klimt. But perhaps the closing look caught the spirit of the house best. Bambou, a cinquante-something model-turned-singer and one-time lover of Serge Gainsbourgs, slowly and carefully

tread the runway in an unadorned and dignified black velvet dress. There was something a little weathered and worn about her, life etched on every fiber of her being, but still her indomitable beauty shone through. If thats not what Herms ultimately stands for, then nothing does.

GIvenchy
FOR SAUCY RIDERS

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This collection was the fashion show equivalent of a particularly fruity Jilly Cooper novel. To a soundtrack of thundering hooves, the models galloped back and forth wearing leather jodhpurs in exaggerated proportions, high black boots and quilted jackets in laser cuts. The most Cooperish allusions of all were the spindly strapped, sunray-pleated, filmy nglige dresses in the winning purples and oranges of jocky silks, accessorised with black long leather gloves. Thats pretty much what came out of the starting blocks at Givenchyplus a few gymslip-style skirts in black leather slashed pleats. It wasnt discreet, although they stopped short of giving the girls whips - and those leather jodhpurs also came in khaki satin. Youre not going to blend in with the huntin, shootin, fishin set in this lot, although they might well appreciate your efforts to spice things up a bit. A soundtrack of thundering hooves? Jodhpurs in exaggerated proportions and black, beige or red leather? Tall black boots that looked as though a pair of chaps had accidentally slipped down the leg to cover the heel? Quilted jackets in laser cuts the like of which have never been seen anywhere near a point to point? Leather coats with cape flaps? And the most direct in flagrante allusion of all; spindly strapped, sunray pleated, filmy negligee dresses in the winning purples and oranges of jocky silks, accessorised with black leather gloves that reached to the arm pit? Thats pretty much what came out of the starting blocks at Givenchyplus a few gymslip style skirtsin black leather slashed pleats. It wasnt terribly discreet, although

they stopped short of handing out whips to the models, and those leather jodphurs also came in khaki satin. Still, youre not going to blend in with the huntin shootin and fishin set in this lot, although they might well appreciate your efforts to spice things up a bit. But blending in is not Riccardo Tiscis raison dtre. His forte is tailoring and it gets better and better. Amidst all the pony-club-dominatrix paraphernalia were some of the most beautiful wool jackets with flared cuffs and swooping tails, and plenty of asymmetric ones tocropped at the waist in front bottom covering from behindand a whole lot more wearable than they sound. Amidst all the dobbin-meets-dominatrix wear were hidden some of the most beautiful wool jackets with flared cuffs and swooping tails, and plenty of asymmetric ones, toocropped at the waist in front, bottom covering from behindthat were a whole lot more wearable than they sound. Literal equestrian references ran the head-to-toe gamut, from the giant solid-disc earrings (intended to evoke the blinders of a carriage horse) to the riding boots, crafted with a loose leather sheath that disguised the heel. Jodhpur-shaped pants were given a slouchy modern attitude. The shapely jackets too, with their bustled panels and elaborate seaming, had a faint echo of Victorian riding costume, as well as menswear (there were vestigial tailcoat tails) and even military uniforms of that period, but these were reimagined in Riccardo Tiscis thoroughly contemporary aesthetic. Some jackets had panels of translucent black muslin that subtly revealed the

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Model Stef van der Laan is wearing black leatehr trench coat, black long gloves, and black long boots

classic tailors infrastructure of stiffening interlining and basting stitches within. The high turn-of-the-century collars that are a defining flourish this season were handsomely present hereand for the evening looks were replaced with wide ribbon chokers with flying streamers that were once prettily called suivez-moi-jeune-homme. Meanwhile, there was a geometric Bauhaus rigor to some of the boxier-cut, deep-sleeved tailoring pieces, as well as a brace of inventive mink jackets in color blocks of black, red, and natural browns. Elsewhere, texture contrasts were provided by panels of gleaming pony skin (which is, of course, calf hideTisci isnt that literal) against wool and leather. The Soviet stars that were scattered subtly across Tiscis haute couture creations for spring (in tone-on-tone sequins or three-dimensionally molded leather embroidery elements) were used again here, but this time with unapologetic scale and bling-ing razzle-dazzle; a dramatic take on the jewel-like embroidery story that has swept the international collections. For the softer, feminine side of the collection there was a whiff of Gianni Versaces nineties looks in the short lingerie-inspired dresses with traceries of lace set into butter-soft leather or slippery satin in unusual color combinations that included lilac with khaki or ice-blue with orange and violet. Fluttering satin court trains worn with evening jodhpurs were an edgy, modern option for a statement evening look.

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The brooding sexuality of Bourdins work.

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LANVIN
Que Sera,Sera

Ten years of Alber! The birthday boy threw a whopping Lanvin party tonighttrue, heartwarming, campy, and calorific fun for a stadium-full of the family of fashion. At least for an hour or twofirst, a slam-dunk of a collection, and then a sprawling after-celebrationhe magicked up a surreally happy respite from the stressed, snippy, gossip-ridden melee of fashion. Taking to a glittery stage, backed by Joey Arias and a motley band of dance musicians, Alber Elbaz gave a sweet, gender-adapted rendition of Doris Days Que Sera, Sera, singing, When I was just a little boy, I asked my mother, What will I be? Then, throwing open a cavernous back lot, he let them eat cakepiles of petit-fours, macaroons, candied fruits, bonbons, chocolate clairs, and sugared almonds on groaning trolleysand be merry. If the global popularity of Lanvin can be measured by the mob of international TV cameras that swallowed Elbaz up after the show, its brinking on mega. By good fortune of a long relationship with the brands Taiwanese owner, Mrs. Shaw-Lan Wangand a decade of quiet dedication to serving womenElbaz stands on the threshold of the Asian century, with Chinese store openings rolling out before him. Theyll add more millions of fans to the droves of American and European women hes wooed with draped silk and zippy crepe and a humorous, human touch since he stepped into the then-dormant house in 2001. But the show? It was a fast-stomping, glorious spectacle of all the achievements Elbaz has made his own as the triumphant pioneer of the Dress Decade. It wasnt a retrospective, per se. Always restless to improve his grip on cut and on communicating something about the current state of working, playing, multitasking womanhood, Elbaz isnt one to recline on his laurels. Instead of playing it long and self-congratulatory, he stepped on the gas, sending models out at a businesslike clip in wave after wave of the clean-cut to the flouncy to the elaborate and frankly bonkers-brilliant things he does to cover a womans body from neck to knee. He does it in solid shape and color, molding neoprene in bottle green, violet, chrome yellow, or rust red, with frontal peplums smoothed away in back. He does it with bounce, for those who like an hourglass waist and a voluminous skirt, in a little dance dress, a redingote coat, or flouncy taffeta trench. He deals for the strict and severe with power-black tailoring, and turbo-charged sculpted leather for the rocker-mom (with a wild, cable-knit-embossed motorcycle suit thrown in). He thinks of cheering a rainy day with a genius gold-flecked raincoat. And then, when hes on the subject of evening, theres no stopping him: He loads maximal jewels on sober tops and dresses, flings crazy red fur boas and coats on shoulders, and lets loose with giant faux emerald, sapphire, and garnet necklaces, with huge mirrored pendants swinging from them. Toward the end, as some of the girls marched forward, mirrors glinting, it almost looked as if beams of light were streaming joyfully from somewhere just above their hearts. Which is exactly how fashion at its best ought to make a woman feel. Thanks, Alber, for capturing that. Heres to the next ten years.
MARC JACOBS 2012 Fall Winter Collection New York Fashion Week Photographed by Kevin Tachman

I like dresses for night, I like afterparty more than party. I like the mystery; I like the dream, like fantasy dresses,

The clothes he showed today certainly were. But not sweet like the pyramids of cakes that greeted guests at the after-show party. No, these outfits were suh-weet in their body-enhancing shape; their intense, delicious color; their feeling of wayward fun. Elbaz has always exalted womanliness (tonight he even confessed that hed be happy to be considered a designer who reshaped women), and here there was a generous emphasis on the curve. Roundness too, especially in skirts that flared from hips. But if you were to attempt to plumb Elbazs appealand the sheer joy that seemed to animate tonights audience shows how deep it runsit might be the fun element that hits first. His ten years at Lanvin have given women a license to dress up, get down. The party section of the collection announced itself with gold brocade, then quickly leaped to glittering appliqus, beaded sheaths, exuberant prints, and intarsia-ed furs. The models literally had diamondsOK, sparkleson the soles of their shoes. And when Aymeline Valade worked the runway in a black dress with a huge white ruffle coiling around her body, it brought back memories of those purely pleasurable fashion moments when catwalk divas like Pat Cleveland shamelessly strutted in the name of style. Elbaz remembers those good times. Hence, the carnival atmosphere of his show closer and everything that came afterward. Alber himself crooned Que Sera, Sera, with a backing group of signal figures from his past. (Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Joey Arias on vocals, Miss Kim Hastreiter on xylophone.) But the fizzy fabulosity of the evening kicked another thought pattern into gear. All parties must come to an end, and maybe that melancholy prospect is a less acknowledged element in the appeal of Elbazs clothes. Underneath all the dazzle, he gives you depth and a hint of darkness.

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There was the merest snatch of You Dont Own Me, Lesley Gores classic anthem of fuck-offery, on the Lanvin soundtrack today, but that was enough to cue the sense of triumph that must be powering Alber Elbaz in this, the tenth anniversary of his tenure at the house. There were the years when things didnt go quite right, when the YSL dream job turned nightmare, when he felt like the eternal outsider in fashions sleek inner circle. But here he is a decade later, A-number one, top of the list, king of the hill, and somewhere deep inside, there must be a voice cooing to Elbaz that revenge is sweet.

LANVIN 2012 Fall Winter Collection PARIS Fashion Week Photograph by Kelly Heck ARTICLE BY Lisa Armstrong