THE DAY BEFORE: LANVIN - PRESENTED BY MADAM VIRTUE & CO AND ACMI

This article was first published on Couturing.com



The angular, post modern surrounds of Melbourne’s Federation Square provide a sensory-stimulating contrast to the fluid, sweeping lines of Lanvin’s SS12 collection.

ACMI visitors are treated to a visual delight upon arrival; a spectacular window installation capturing the soul and effervescence of Lanvin’s designs. The display, based on archival and current Lanvin, has been spearheaded by creative visionary Dean Hewitt, one of the masterminds behind iconic Melbourne boutique Madam Virtue & Co. This feast for the eyes is indicative of Hewitt’s exceptional eye for detail and is a fitting welcome for MSFW and ACMI guests.

It is immediately obvious that everyone behind this collaboration is passionate about their respective crafts. ACMI film curator James Nolen possesses a deep love for both film and fashion and is clearly delighted to announce that The Day Before: Lanvin is to be screened exclusively in Melbourne. When JC, the self proclaimed “short and sweet” other half of the dynamic Madam Virtue duo, speaks of the Lanvin house itself, a grin spreads across his face. He tells the audience of his admiration for Lanvin’s creative director Alber Elbaz and his ability to take risks. It is truly a joy to watch a film backed by a team filled with so much energy and passion.



Our warm and inviting welcome is followed by equally exceptional viewing. The Day Before: Lanvin audience is treated to the workings of a fashion house a mere 36 hours before their Paris Fashion Week showing; a house headed by a man with notoriously high expectations. We find “dresses made with both laughter and the very deepest concentration” amid sheer chaos. Elbaz, a man who claims to work in fashion because he “cannot do anything else”, creates shoulder pads like wings and draping that appears to be simple yet is truly complex beyond our imagination.

The Day Before: Lanvin and Madam Virtue’s accompanying wearable art installation are a cultural and sartorial delight.

Catch The Day Before: Isabel Marant + Lanvin at ACMI from Sep 5-7















Images by the incredible Wanda Chin for Couturing.