Paris Fashion Week spring 2014: Lanvin review

PARIS -- If there is someone worth holding the start of a runway show for, it would have to be France’s first lady of film, Catherine Deneuve, who came gliding into the front row at Lanvin, fashionably late to the party on Thursday night.

And what a party it was. Designer Alber Elbaz tripped the light fantastic with a dazzling display of metallic color and shine.

The look: Ready for the dance floor. The palette was as colorful as a bowl of cellophane-wrapped candy, with metallic copper, gold, fuchsia, red and emerald green.

Elbaz used more than 60 fabrics, ranging from fluid silk washed lame, to soft toile-based washed lame, to tweed mixed with Lurex.

Key pieces: Metallic Lurex pleated dresses, some so exceptionally folded and sculpted, they had a corrugated quality. Sporty iridescent sequin track pants and tank top, and parachute silk coat with metallic pockets. Tinsely tweed jacket and skirt ensemble. Sparkly sequin stripe dress with streamer details. Molded, stretch Neoprene little black dresses with body con fits. Pumps with grosgrain ribbon ankle ties, and flat kiltie loafers, Cheeky, glammed-up versions of plastic grocery bags in what looked like shiny leather or satin, which were some of the best accessories so far this season. Chunky, crystal star necklaces.

The verdict: Fashion firecrackers. And just like on the 4th of July, you didn’t want the show to end.

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