Lovin' Lanvin

The designs of Lanvin keep catching my eye. Deep inside, I guess I'm an old Parisian sort of girl. I love that voluminous signature style paired with a well-placed ruffle captured in expensive fabric. For the past several years, every time I saw an absolutely gorgeous gown or dress, I find that it's Lanvin on the label. Here, a tribute windows by Barneys honoring Alber Elbaz as the current successor of Paris's oldest fashion house (1889).

Predating Chanel by about a decade, milliner Jeanne Lanvin created lasting fashion impact out of a need for more stylish clothing for her young daughter. The clothes became widely recognized, and in a relatively short time, Lanvin was a highly sought after seamstress. The wealthiest children and adults in Parisian society suddenly had a new couturier. Clothing for women and children gradually developed into sportswear, lingerie, menswear, housewares, and perfume all creating an overall branded lifestyle like we know of most labels today. From simple beginnings to fashion empire, it is a house that is still very much alive.

For more on Lanvin see the history timeline and their own window displays.

God Save McQueen

....or at least his legacy. The late Alexander McQueen's risk-taking creations will be on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art through July 31st. In conjunction with the Met's Savage Beauty exhibit, Bergdorf's also has a collection by the troubled genius featured in its windows.

Goth-looking mannequins peek out from behind the birch trees of a dark forest. A billowy red dress updates Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts under the protective wings of a stunning giant, red eagle. And the horned trio frolicks in the moiré patterns and reflections of the funhouse mirrors.