As if the mere notion of Alber Elbaz designing a fast-fashion collection wasn’t enough to tantalize the senses, having previewed the Lanvin men’s pieces–and tried a lot of it on–I can say without a doubt that the men’s wear is top notch. My favorite piece? The $249 double breasted topcoat. It feels rich, looks rich and fits incredibly well. I predict this coat will blow out when it, and the rest of the coveted collection, launches on November 20 in select U.S. stores. While Alber designed the women’s offerings, the men’s pieces were overseen by Lanvin menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver. And Lucas did a fabulous job. Coat aside, there are some great pants that cinch at the bottom a la jogging suits, not to mention a sleek tuxedo that comes affixed with a–removable–oversized white boutonniere. The cardigans and dress shirts aren’t anything to write home about; there’s nothing really that distinguishes them from your normal good quality garment.
In the accessories realm, the feel and weight of the dress shoes–note the bright, fun colors–is significant and expensive looking. I tried on the bowties and their quality is great as well. Last but not least, the sunglasses–I usually don’t like the glasses, but these honestly blew me away. They’re subtle–no crass logos on the temples–with two great screw details flanking the lenses.
