Paris' most romantic label, Lanvin, sent out a hard-edged menswear collection Sunday of eclectic spring-summer 2010 looks with a dark criminal twist.
The models, in black shades and with penciled-on, pencil-thin mustaches, looked like fashion-forward petty thieves _ at once dandified and potentially dangerous.
Menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver toned down the foppish details and lustrous fabrics of seasons past for a crisper silhouette of tapered, high-rise pants in shiny microfiber, cuffed shorts and sleeveless blazers. The dark palette of blacks and grays was punctuated by bursts of emerald green or dusty ruby.
"For a lot of seasons we have been exploring softness, and I think the softness is still in the clothes, but the image is more edgy," Ossendrijver told reporters in a post-show interview.
He said for this collection, Lanvin's design team had "gone out of the laboratory and down onto the street" to figure out what real _ fashion-conscious _ men wear and need.
"It's the anti-uniform," he said.
Asked about the skinny ties and marching visors that many of the models sported, Ossendrijver said, "We are all about taking those classic elements and making something new from them."
What the edgy collection lacked in romantic flair, the venue _ an ornate, historic theater in western Paris _ more than made up for. Lit with dim scarlet lights, the Salle Wagram had the decadent feel of a 19th century cabaret.
A-list guests at the show included hip-hop artist Usher.
