Alber Elbaz

“I guess 5 o’clock in America is happy hour,” declared Alber Elbaz before the start of his Lanvin pre-fall show at the Bowery Hotel. Yes, there were cocktails, but the presentation was plenty civilized. “This isn’t about Marilyn Monroe moving to India and having an acid trip,” he explained. Demure dresses made from black and navy scuba were accented with ruffled collars and a smattering of gemstone brooches. Knee-grazing bourgeois coats were kept minimal and clean or given rich texture with belted patchwork fur and tweed. (Matching Russian fur ushanka included.) High-waisted skirts and tapered wool pants paired easily with expertly tailored wool flannel suitcoats beckoning business women everywhere. But what anchored the opulence and gave the collection a youthful air were the warm ribbed tights, relaxed thermal long johns (worn with heels, of course), and printed silk scarves wrapped casually around a low ponytail.

Yesterday at Lanvin’s pre-fall show at the Bowery Hotel, The Daily raised an eyebrow upon spotting Simon Doonan sitting pretty in the front row. Although Barneys PR announced his new, less-involved role at the retailer merely hours before, the ever-cheerful media sprite didn’t seem the least bit dismayed. After greeting Alber Elbaz, he chuckled with his neighbors, mingled with the who’s who (like TK and TK), and intensely analyzed the 2011 collection. Now that’s spirit!