evolution

A thought that occurred to me as I was clicking through the Lanvin pre-fall collections on style.com - one thing I've always loved about Alber Elbaz's work is that he isn't afraid to let his ideas evolve slowly and he takes his time to explore a concept over a few seasons, instead of rushing on to the new. (Rather like the way Ridley Scott tells a story in his films, as seen in "Blade Runner", "Alien", "Gladiator" and the superb, superb "American Gangster"...and boy am I digressing.) The ruffle detail on the neck of this stunning, stunning dress from the latest pre-fall collections -



Can be traced back to these past looks -





This just one of many examples, and I think that it doesn't feel tired and unoriginal is testament to the skill and talent of Mr Elbaz for knowing how to refine and tweak the original idea into something that looks fresh and yet retains the best of what made the look distinctive and innovative to begin with. Lanvin designs can seem a little too dressy for my T-shirt sense of style, but I find dressing with an image in my mind is highly satisfying, even if my look bears little or no resemblance to my inspiration.

Pictures from www.style.com