Upon first glance, Lanvin‘s latest collection left us feeling more confused than optimistic about the house’s future. When Bruno Sialelli was appointed as the new creative director for the brand, the whole industry heaved a collective sigh of relief that the oldest couture label in history might still be saved. But his debut Fall 2019 outing proved otherwise. For one thing, his Loewe touches (his former employer before Lanvin) were too evident and all over the place, from the unnecessary layering to the deconstructed suiting. Here, however, what was refined from his previous label became half-assed and almost blatant imitations on the current front. We’re not even sure why some looks had pieces of fabric peeping out from under dresses, skirts, and trousers—they looked awkward and ugly, to say the least. From the get-go, it was clear that there was a large disconnect between Sialelli’s own version of Lanvin to the brand’s ladylike roots. There wasn’t any grand haute couture-esque approach that was highlighted by both his predecessors, Alber Elbaz and Bouchra Jarrar. It was almost disrespectful how he essentially let go of such past achievements and insisted that his streetwise gender-fluid approach might be better. Spoiler alert, it isn’t! With such an underwhelming debut, we’re not sure how long Bruno Sialelli will last. But as long as he’s on the helm, we’re hoping he’d turn things around and stay true to the house of Lanvin more than he did here.
Photo: Daniele Oberrauch / Gorunway.com
