Lanvin: Set For Upgrade
Olivier Lapidus, artistic director of Lanvin, is set to make the Parisian brand a digital darling, even as he plans to collaborate with street artists.
Last July, Lanvin named Olivier Lapidus as its artistic director. Geekiest of all French couturiers, thanks to his strong connect with the digital world, Olivier seems ready to take us to an all-new three-dimensional era when we met him.
You launched your digital fashion house last year, and a week later you were called on by Lanvin.
L’Officiel India DigitalRead L’Officiel India in the digital libraryEvery issue and every cover story, on TCG Media.Read now
Madame Wang, brand’s owner, called me and said that it’s time for us to work together. I had to choose between my start-up and the oldest fashion house in France. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but also a sort of a gamble. But, I wanted to contribute to the journey of an extraordinary enterprise, to its name and its worth.
What values does Lanvin hold dear?
The French spirit, expertise, the craft, embroiderers and all the people who bring this house to life. And of course, the impact of an exceptional women, Jeanne Lanvin.
You have always been drawn to the high-tech universe, to the digital world. Would bringing that to Lanvin your primary challenge?
Well said, and yes. I want the oldest fashion house to use the latest technologies, and I am relying on that cultural shock to re-programme the brand. For the upcoming collection, I am working on completely new fabrics constructed from a mix of polymers and silk. And why not develop a provision for customisation at the stores and online, which relies on the latest developments in technology and artificial intelligence.
The boundaries between high fashion and street fashion are starting to blur. Where does Lanvin stand in that?
The label will associate itself more and more with art, artists who are worshipped, such as Krista Kim and her Techism movement. Street culture and graffiti artists also interest us tremendously, specifically for prints, but not for pure and durable sportswear. I want to first develop our day wear and then branch out into aspects of streetwear.Whatever it may be, Lanvin dresses the women of now and so it must be sensitive to their needs.
You had no more than 42 days to create your first collection. How was the work in such urgency?
There was a lot of work to be done (laughs). I kept switching between wanting to be institutional or innovative in my approach. I did the anti-logo for which I took the letters of the word Lanvin and rendered them illegible. I also researched the life of Jeanne Lanvin to see if I could find certain codes that I could play with: gloves, decollates, detailing, a few Japan-inspired elements and also secrets signs that only seasoned clients of Lanvin would be able to catch and appreciate.
What’s for the winter 2018-19 collection?
It will dive deeper. I am working on cocktail dresses, evening gowns but also more structured pieces. What matters to Lanvin today is to seduce, once again, its cliental, the woman who travels, and the woman who is more a fashion addict than a fashion victim.
From the February 2018 issue of L’Officiel India.
Spotted a mistake, or your photo used without permission? Report a correction
