The more I look at images from Lanvin’s S/S 2010 collection, the more Jaap Mooy’s "Cathédrale Mécanique" comes to my mind.
People familiar with Mooy’s works may remember his imaginative and experimental iron constructions and collages.
Moving between sculpture, collage and pictorial art, Mooy assembled unique metal reliefs with objets trouvés such as scrap metal, steel wheels, watch mechanisms and pieces of broken dolls, creating plasticity and, at the same time, a vital tension and movement.
Mooy’s "Cathédrale Mécanique" consists of several layers of wheels, a random cross, doll arms, chains and a metal bottle cap and, though decoratively casual and chaotic, the piece seems to have been created following a certain mechanical precision.
Alber Elbaz is globally known for his graceful feminine and subtle chic designs, yet in Lanvin’s most recent collection and in particular in the heavy jewellery pieces worn by the models, there was something of Mooy’s chaotic yet controlled and almost balanced confusion.
While the first designs on Lanvin's catwalk – sleeveless jackets or dresses with a sculptural single sleeve that morphed into one leather glove and with asymmetrical ruffles along the neckline – looked minimally familiar, little by little Elbaz enriched his vision including draped dresses, jumpsuits that evoked in their pleated motifs Mariano Fortuny’s iconic Delphos Gown and dresses in ebullient shades such as red or teal, that wrapped, twisted and knotted around the body.
Elbaz's designs never dramatically distorted the body, but added to it another dimension, providing a new vision of sensuality thanks to details such as veiled backs.
In this almost minimalist vision, what made me think about Mooy's works were mainly the pantsuits and metallic sweaters overloaded with gold sequins or with rows of buttons and matched with oversized jewellery that made an unusual sumptuous statement in a society riddled with recession.
The embellishments on the garments, the chains on the shoes, the thick bracelets lined one after the other, the metal snakes coiling around the models’ necks and wrists and multiple necklaces worn on luxurious tops evoked high glamour and power and a certain chaotic effect à la Mooy.
It may be hard to recreate Lanvin's luxurious atmospheres at home, but a trip to your local hardware store, a few disassembled watches from a second-hand shop or market, some random broken toys and a healthy dose of imagination, may help you creating quite a few unique accessories à la Jaap Mooy.
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