Feminine opulence pervaded the Lanvin Fall 2012 collection, and how gorgeous it was. Elbaz has always stressed the importance of designing for women, and in this collection, women's curves took center stage, with the focus on the waist. The defining factors? Peplum, balloon sleeves, and lots of belting and draping, which weaved themselves mostly into dresses, but outerwear and richly-hued furs as well. The show opened with a series of jewel-hued pieces — sleek shifts with ruffled details at the neck or down the back, peplum tops paired with slim pencil skirts — then moved through a sexy series of black outfits of leather and fur fit for the edgy city chick. The final act was the most theatrical — dresses were embellished with lace and jewels, or done in rich velvet, or layered with ruffled, jewel-toned furs and accessorized with opera gloves. Finally, the jewelry: statement necklaces fit for a queen, but sure to decorate the necks of fashionable girls everywhere next season. Click to see the whole collection, as it's a beauty.
- Trends: Bejeweled dresses, peplum, ruffles, opulent dressing, belting, elbow-length gloves.
- Colors: Purple, blue, red, hunter green, gold, gray, black.
- Key Piece: Bejeweled, curvaceous cocktail dresses; the peplum tops, the jewelry.
- Accessories: Big, fit-for-a-queen statement necklaces.
- Who Would Wear It: Fashion-forward glamour girls — Natalie Portman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore.
