PARIS, Mar 6, 2006/ FW/ --- Beautiful, covetable and easy-to-wear are just a few of the adjectives that describe the Lanvin Fall 2006 collection previewed yesterday at the Opéra Comique wherein Alber Elbaz dressed his ladies from the basics to the nines.

Opening with a simple black dress that gracefully curved on the model’s figure, it’s Elbaz’s masterful cuts and tailoring that made it so polished and refined. And from this basic black dress, Elbaz built his collection, following it with a black coat with big buttons, again the garment tracing the female form gently then flaring elegantly at the hips just to reach below the knee.

These first two exits set the tone and clearly expressed Elbaz’s message – it’s all about form and contour, where volume is tightly controlled, enough to give shape and not to be overdone.

What followed were variations of the theme, a day jacket in black and white, wherein the cut defined the female figure, then spotlighted with illusion as white turned black from front to back.

Trousers ranged from slim to relaxed fit, all done in tuxedo style dressing by pairing them with multiple variants of the tuxedo coat – all black and fitted, snug fit and cropped on the hipline, in blue metallic with white piping.

All of them were embellished with different renditions of the bow – from bow ties to standard, even jabot-inspired.

Still, it was the sheath dresses that stole the show. Layered with chiffon, it became a play of illusion and allusion. Black on black, nude on nude, nude on black or black on nude – it was an illusion on slimming the figure and an allusion to sensuality and sexuality on what lies beneath.

It became an art of seduction, whether the ladies were wearing feminine dresses or mannish tuxedos. Alber Elbaz was masterful at this game, after all showing very little and revealing nothing is one of the traits of a temptress.

A nude fabric inset on the side of a dress, a black jumper paired with nude blouse, black chiffon over a nude shell as a tuxedo shirt, the illusion was perfect, the allusion was tender.

Even the choice of the venue and the stage set added to the drama played on the runway. The name of the venue, Opéra Comique was a play on irony for the palatial white doors on the stage set.

Perhaps, it is part of Alber Elbaz’s very likable sense of humor. Still, it is very hard to miss the wit of it all because of the performance on the catwalk. After all, Alber Elbaz treated his audience with a show that has one of the clearest messages of the season.

Lanvin by Alber Elbaz

Lanvin by Alber Elbaz

Lanvin by Alber Elbaz

Lanvin by Alber Elbaz

Lanvin by Alber Elbaz