Mannequin-like faces and uniform wigs seemed to contradict Alber Elbaz’s idea of “the many faces of womanhood” as his fall inspiration, but as soon as the first look stormed out onto the runway, it was clear the woman he was talking about was the kind who wore the clothes–and not the other way around. By essentially making his woman faceless, he allowed every woman to channel their inner power–be it boardroom dominatrix or matriarch of Africa. It was all power to the shoulder, blended with hourglass shaping and the soft drape of the toga dress Elbaz has masterfully conquered over the seasons. Tailoring was a strong suit in this collection with powerful shoulder-lines and waist-whittling jackets, while coats were architecturally simple. Short skirts and hip-hugging dresses added to the don’t-mess-with-me appeal. The fur chubby coat added a sense of lightweight volume, while the sporty blouson and after-six dresses came with a myriad engineered pleats, tribal fringing and embroideries. Equally appealing was the color palette–rich deep and dark, with inky blues, charcoal and aubergines offset with a flash of red, intense poison greens and burnished bronzed metallics. The fabrics reiterated the collection’s contrasting moods with matt felted wools working for sculpted silhouettes, offset with pleated lamé and crepe, seductive lace and marabou nicely balanced against tribal patterns through embroidery and beading rather than print. This being Lanvin, details and trims were key: bristling, short and stuff feathered fringes, tribal beading and embroidery, follow-me back zips, engineered ruching, heavy, geometric jewelry pleating and drapes were the hallmarks of this stellar collection.