Peter Copping unveils his debut collection for Lanvin

TO TAKE over a legacy House is no easy task. So when asked to bring the oldest running French courtier to the forefront of today, Peter Copping had a feat.

Naturally he felt like the first place to look was to its founder, Jeanne Lanvin and for his debut autumn-winter 2025 collection he paid homage to her and the her intimate sense of style.

Unlike her contemporaries, what was so special about her was her all-encompassing vision. Her career began by making clothes for her daughter which ignited mothers to flock and ask for similar versions for themselves, and within a decade she began designing menswear, lingerie and even home décor – the essence of Lanvin was never constricted to the runway, but was felt throughout every walk of life.

Within this wealth of design, Copping was drawn to the signature blue first seen in the 1920s. With the shade symbolising nature and its many parts, from ocean to sky, the British Artistic Director wanted to renew the motif and see it evolve and be a marker of representation of the passage of time.

This wasn’t the only inherent part of the brand he wanted to push into today, he was keen to note that the Maison isn’t “a house, but also a home”, seeking to bring the nuances from Jeanne’s life to the future and honouring her description of elegance: le chic ultime.

So where did this leave the collection? It was bursting with references from Jeanne’s vision during the 1920s and 30s and oozing with nods to the Art Deco era. Rich pairings of black and gold in the women’s eveningwear, symmetrical embroidery mixed with frilly lace, dropped waists and floor sweeping lengths; and of course, more obvious signs like prints inspired by Tamara de Lempicka paintings. Favoured capes made a flattering return and kitten heels brought mobility.

Menswear was a first for Copping whose legacy has seen him earn his stripes making gowns for the likes of Oscar de la Renta and Nina Ricci. Although this side of the collection lacked the full-throttle history lesson of the past, it was a well-executed line up of pieces men like to wear – like intarsia jumpers, dinner jackets and leather outerwear.  

As far as debuts go, this was a spectacular reminder of Lanvin’s history whilst allowing the audience to erupt with excitement about the future of Copping’s tenure here.

by Imogen Clark

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