Lanvin’s new urban elegance wraps up Paris fashion

PARIS - Paris men's fashion wrapped up on Sunday with a collection of skinny, futuristic looks for spring/summer 2015 from Lanvin designer Lucas Ossendrijver.

The Dutchman said his latest collection was aimed at a new kind of urban elegance that reflected the way people lived now, such as biking to work.

"On a bike, you don't wear a perfect suit, there is something more urban. You wear a jacket, maybe with a skinny pant, you roll up the sleeves," he said.

But Ossendrijver, who has designed the label's menswear for the past eight years under the guidance of artistic director Alber Elbaz, said lifestyle changes were not a reason to forget fashion.

"We have ways to make sure it's always elegant... even if we take influences from sportswear, we try to make it always elegant," he added.

Ossendrijver teamed narrow ties or neck scarfs with slim-fitting trousers and jackets—some sleeveless or cut short at the front and long at the back.

Futuristic looks included a mauve boilersuit worn under a burgundy jacket and a black leather shirt-jacket with green collar and cuffs.

Paris fashion will take a break over the next week before the start of six days of haute couture collections for autumn/winter 2014/15 from Sunday.

In the meantime, attention is expected to shift to the courtroom on Tuesday for a case involving Louis Vuitton women's design director Nicolas Ghesquiere and his former employer Balenciaga.

The designer credited with breathing new life into the fabled fashion house during his 15-year tenure is being sued by Balenciaga for $9.5 million (€6.9 million).

The company accuses Ghesquiere of breaking the terms of his contract in a series of interviews he gave to London-based fashion magazine System in which he allegedly failed to express himself with "reserve and delicacy," according to court documents seen by AFP.

The case is due to be heard by a civil court in Paris. — Agence France-Presse