BEAUTY: Clothing--Lanvin

I am so excited to see high-waisted trousers at the Lanvin Spring Summer '13 show at Paris Fashion Week. I have a theory that the silhouette each generation chooses to wear reflects an interior psychological state manifested outwardly in the body. Each generation addresses either how they appear or how they wish to appear, usually both. Back in the 70s (and 30s, because that is the period the 70s were emulating), long legs were a desired silhouette. And what do legs symbolize? They are a form of movement, of locomotion, a way for us to move through the world, toward or away. Legs symbolize independence, competence, and stability... to be able to "stand on your own two legs" is seen as a good thing. But somewhere in the 90s and 00s, the idea of long legs disappeared. The silhouette of choice by that generation featured very long torsos and squat legs, achieved by pants worn ridiculously low and tee shirts cut ridiculously long. This look primarily emerged from an urban milieu, and I wonder what that generation got out of, psychologically speaking, being seen as unable to walk or run, unable to move freely, lacking the stability or competence to strike out into the world. The effect is one of essentially being hobbled. What was the pay off for being perceived that way? I still can't say for sure although what comes to mind is the shape of an infant, with a prominent torso and undeveloped limbs.

But I do know that when I saw the waist lines of these Lanvin trousers, I could feel a shift in perception of the body, and maybe even a return to the kind of mobility and potential for great strides--psychologically and socially speaking--that this kind of look subliminally suggests.

And like SO many houses this season in Milan and Paris, metallic played a part in the look for Spring Summer '13. It truly is the look for Spring Summer '13--or now!

http://www.lanvin.com/