Raise the Bat-Signal!

Bruno Sialelli transports Lanvin to Gotham City
By Alex James Taylor | Fashion | 7 October 2021

Bruno Sialelli’s influences are never casually pasted onto his collections, they’re layered collages that shimmer with different meaning at every angle. This season the Lanvin creative director went KAPOW! WHAM! BAM! and split open the Parisian house’s art deco core with a vision filtered through the Batman universe (courtesy of a collaboration with DC Comics). As comic book panels adorned asymmetrical shirting, models carried batmobile bags and batman’s masked head took over the house’s skateboarding-inspired Curb sneaker. But, as you all know, Batman only exists because of his nemeses: cue shades of dark purple and flower brooches inspired by Jack Nicholson’s iteration of the villain and his poisonous acid boutonnière.

However, it was Tim Burton’s 1992 cinematic classic Batman Returns that resonated the most with Sialelli, particularly the film’s heavily-stylised Gotham City built on lavishly dark art deco foundations. This fictional location manifested as structured shoulders reminiscent of both Batman’s iconic suit and the towering skyscrapers that engulf Gotham’s streets, while studded cocktail dresses and metallic tinsel detailing (and one incredible full-body tinsel hoodie look) were invitations to Bruce Wayne’s high-society lifestyle. This fictional world met Lanvin’s via a pop daisy print in ode to Jeanne Lanvin’s daughter Marguerite (daisy) and classic Robe de Style baby-doll dresses. The collection was worn by an impressive cast that included Paloma Elsesser, Asia Argento, Luv Resval and Naomi Campbell, who closed the show in a sweeping black chiffon cape – quick! To the Batmobile, Naomi!

GALLERYCatwalk images from Lanvin WSS22





BACKSTAGE