PARIS, Mar 4, 2007/ FW/ --- The huge tent set at Trocadero between the Palais de Chaillot and the Eiffel Tower which had already been used this week by Maison Martin Margiela was the large venue where Alber Elbaz has chosen to unveil his Fall 2007 collection for the house of Lanvin on the last day of Pręt-ŕ-Porter.

Expected to be the highlight of the evening, and the conclusion of the season, the event has gathered masses of international fashionistas, including the Asian Art pundit and media baroness Mrs. Shaw-Lan Wang, a Paris lover at heart who had made the trip from Taipei to attend.

In a quite industrial setting of black only lit by old-fashioned factory-like light bulbs - which went up before the initial black out, the backstage got lit revealing a structure of steel staircase that the models had to take before they hit the catwalk.

The first exit, a purple dress of washed silk with neo lamb leg sleeves and hemline just above the knee set the tone for the entire collection. Novelty was to be found in the designer's work on proportions, especially on the shoulder line which was dramatically expanded respect to Elbaz's previous seasons.

The following black suit repeated the lamb leg sleeves -modernized respect to their classic counterparts by three flat and pointed pleats just before the seams with the actual shoulders-. The apparent big silver zipper in the jacket balanced consistency with Elbaz's previous collections for the brand.

Shiny or matte silks, jerseys and duchesse cotton, most times cut wildly around the neckline followed in black, ivory, red or purple on a collection consisting of only dresses, blouses, skirts or coats, but no pants at all.

The constant above the knee hemline revealed the very white complexion of the legs perched on solid sandals with a solid bulky heel of matching lacquer. Some boots were also displaying the same straight ankle-prolonging heels.

Other major innovations on volume consist in the gathering of fabric around the spine to create a vertical fin along the back from collar to hemline. Short and sharp on a dress, it can also be prolonged in a sort of wave or oversized flower petal in a coat-dress; V-neck dresses are bordered with wide flounces of satin or silk, two large streaks of black fur thickly embellish the bottom of a dress, the two layers of a round short cape play with the light as the black fowl they are made of shimmers under the spotlights.

Big round and square grommets are used here and there in streaks or in circles as futuristic embellishments in the spirit of the previous season. Alber Elbaz for Lanvin's signature sleeveless dresses with front big zipper are probably the most sellable pieces in the collection, which certainly won't be among his most commercial achievements.

The hair, consisting of extremely sharp black short wigs, the white complexions hardly underlining the eyes and mouth contributed to a kind of post-gothic impression, as if the vampires of yesterday had decided to look at the future with less grand looks. Lanvin's witches might be wearing shorter dresses and coats; they still will look just as pale and serious, maybe a bit younger, but won't have much fun when they celebrate Halloween next fall.

There is a certain nostalgia, probably of Yohji Yamamtoto's early researches on shades of black in the different fabrics paired in the same pieces, but the young modern spirit is interpreted here in a conscious quest for purity which might be judged by the more classic customers like too amateur finishings for a luxury house.

On her way out of the show, Mrs Wang just asked me: "But where are Laetitia Casta and Sophie Marceau? I miss them."