A journey, not only metaphorical, to discover China. Art Deco and 1920s inspiration in a harmonious cultural and stylistic clash.

To present the new Spring / Summer 2021 collection, Bruno Sialelli, creative director of Lanvin, chose Shanghai; in fact, China seems to have returned to normal after the outbreak of the Covid19 epidemic. The choice of location was rather suggestive and symbolic: Lanvin paraded in the Yu city garden (dating back to the 16th century), set up for the occasion and known as the &quot;Garden of Happiness&quot;. The rural merges with the urban, old and new come together and precisely the synthesis between past and present inspires the collection&#39;s approach: a re-examination of the heritage of the Maison, its physical archives and the ideological significance of Lanvin. The brand was born in 1889 and became famous in the period between the two world wars, a period characterized by widespread optimism; it is no coincidence that in America there is talk of &ldquo;Roaring Twenties&rdquo;, the roaring twenties. The past is re-elected in a modern and contemporary key while remaining extremely faithful to the origins and history of the maison: in fact, we find numerous references to Art D&eacute;co, an artistic movement widespread in particular between 1919 and 1930 and a reinterpretation of the &quot;robe de style &rdquo;, the maison&#39;s iconic low-waisted silhouettes, originally inspired by 18th-century silhouettes, which is recontextualized in a series of tailored looks and soft coats.

There is also a homage to oriental culture; in addition to the choice of the setting and a casting of exclusively Asian models, we find jacquard dresses, abundant use of silk, traditional floral prints and depicting animals (especially the goldfish Wen, symbol of prosperity and good luck) and finally, icing on the cake, the iconic and inevitable hand-painted paper umbrellas. Silhouettes and fabrics are sensual, draped along the body for both men and women; Men wear charmeuse suits with a soft construction, relaxed like pajamas; women&#39;s clothes fall delicately along the body, sometimes weighed down by chain mail.

Even the accessories are inspired by the country&#39;s imagination: Minaudi&egrave;re bags are made like aquariums, lacquered with small bronze fish, decorated with bijoux, tassels and gold chains (dominant and fundamental color for the collection); the shoes feature sculptural golden ball heels borrowed from the caps of the house&#39;s perfume bottles (inspiration is the iconic Arp&egrave;ge perfume bottle). The jewels are easily exchanged for works of art.

A collection that reflects on history, respects the present and projects itself into the future; a parallelism between two eras inspired by the elegance, optimism and joie de vivre inherent in Lanvin&#39;s DNA.

Lanvin shows in Shanghai for Spring-Summer 2021

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