Alber Elbaz toned it down today, giving Paris Fashion Week audiences a moody, refined take on his usual glitz.

As always, Lanvin’s creative director used a multitude of materials and silhouettes, creating a diverse set of looks guaranteed to please every Lanvin lover. 

“People look for a dream and for fantasy in fashion,” said Elbaz of his Spring 2014 collection. For the Fall collection, Elbaz continued to pursue this sense of fantasy, yet he took a step back. The trash-bags-of-Las-Vegas lamé of Spring was no more; the fabrics were both sumptuous and sophisticated. Feminine tweeds were mingled with plush fur, thin leather and liquid silk, and rendered in a muted color palette of navy, grey and deep noir. 

The show began with suits of fringed tweed, tailored loosely to display the feminine figure. Then, Elbaz moved into gowns. A strapless black beauty, draped in thin leather with a thigh-high slit, was reminiscent of Angelina Jolie’s Atelier Versace dress at the 2012 Oscars. Another delicate leather creation mimicked the growing pleats trend that was most famously adopted by Proenza Schouler last season. 

Elbaz showed look after luxurious look. The silhouette was unapologetically feminine; he shunned pants completely, choosing to focus instead on bias-cut dresses and simple skirts. Although he played with all lengths, the freshest looks were the youthful, sixties-style mini skirts paired with rich furs and military-inspired coats. 

A series of mini skirt looks embellished with long, swinging fringe concluded the show. In anyone else’s hands, they would have looked like tacky flapper costumes, but under Elbaz’s guidance, they were modern and elegant. 

As with every Lanvin show, the accessories were just as important as the clothes. There were collar statement necklaces and great shoes, including over-the-knee boots and trendy leather mules. But the real showstoppers were the hats that came and went throughout the show. There were military-inspired caps that shaded the models’ faces in a nod to film noir, and later, floppy, fringed toppers that resembled Christian Dior's New Look. 

While nothing particularly new, Lanvin’s latest collection is a successful continuation of its luxurious, feminine aesthetic. The fashion house’s devotees—regular fashionistas and red-carpet regulars alike—are sure to find a statement piece that pleases them for next fall. 

See all of the looks here, or in the video below.

Reach Staff Reporter Gigi Gastevich here.