Pursuit of Happiness

Lanvin Leads the Paris Runways By Embracing What Women Want

PARIS, Oct. 6

It's dangerous to speak in absolutes, particularly in the fickle fashion business. But it would seem stingy, even churlish, not to state the obvious, even at the risk of sounding like the hyperbolic fashion editor who cried "Think pink!" in "Funny Face."

The best clothes in Paris this season -- the absolute best -- were created by designer Alber Elbaz at Lanvin.

The proof is not just on the runway, where for spring 2009 he offered an elegant fantasy of feminine, sexy and accessible clothes in a sophisticated palette, but also in the influence his work has had in the industry and on the company's bottom line. Any woman enthralled by the dazzling costume jewelry now in stores or happy that ballet flats have become chic or who recently purchased a blouse embellished with a grosgrain ribbon has Elbaz to thank.

And despite the sky-high cost of his clothes, they are selling. It is virtually impossible to find any garment in the company's multistory Paris flagship for less than $1,800 -- and that includes a relatively simple silk, pleated sleeveless T-shirt. And yet, the customers come. During a visit last week, a woman in a modest head-covering spoke frantically on her green jeweled cellphone about purchasing some frock in her sightline. A young woman, settled onto a sofa in another corner of the store, adamantly pointed to a picture of a blouse she'd pulled from some magazine and demanded that her salesman trot it out to her. The poor fellow had the unenviable job of explaining that he didn't have it.

The privately held company was founded in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, who was first a milliner and later designed children's clothes. Since 2001, when Elbaz arrived, the house has been on a mission of revival. It settled into the black last year for the first time in a decade, according to Women's Wear Daily. It is now valued at close to $220 million, and the majority of its revenue is derived from men's and women's ready-to-wear, with about 27 percent from accessories. Exquisite clothes, no matter how expensive, will sell.

What distinguishes Elbaz's work at Lanvin is that his point of view is not predicated on gimmicks, stuffy intellectualism or extravagant flourishes. The clothes Elbaz showed Sunday night, as the spring 2009 collections came to a close, had all of the signature markings of his work. There were visible zippers, silhouettes that gently followed the body, soft ruffles and sophisticated ease. But Elbaz showed off his confidence and eccentric sense of color, mixing raspberry and aubergine or blush and mango. His lean trousers sat high on the waist but were balanced by a voluminous blouse that rose high on the collarbone to subtly frame the face. He introduced prints and played with texture.

The models strode confidently on high, bejeweled and crystal-studded heels that were so tantalizing one wanted to reprimand Elbaz for such a torturous temptation when everyone should be concerned about excessive spending. Damn you, Elbaz!

The designer might find the inspiration for his color palette in exotic locales or be mesmerized by the soigne movements of a dancer. But all of that is tempered in a collection whose sole purpose is to make women happy. It is, perhaps, the most daunting task any designer could willingly embrace.

John Galliano, Chanel

Other designers this season have placed themselves in service to the customer. John Galliano, in a collection shown Saturday, offered a reminder that if one can look beyond his finger-paint makeup, Crayola-colored wigs and Bo-Peep bonnets, one will see a master of poetic dresses.

While Elbaz injects power into his ruffles and gathers, Galliano creates dresses that speak as emotionally as an abstract painting. He understands the melancholy in the perfect shade of dusty rose or yellow. He can calibrate the excitement stirred up by a dress that falls off the shoulders . . . just so. His watercolor gowns vibrate with energy without a single geegaw or tchotchke.