Lanvin's 'Curb' Is Timothée Chalamet's Favourite Trainer
When Lanvin's creative director Bruno Sialelli took over in 2019, he re-introduced a dedicated menswear line to the oldest surviving fashion house in continuous existence. The A/W 20 menswear show which featured both men's and women's, saw one of the season's most covetable trainers take to the runway, before trickling down into the wardrobes of some of menswear's style heroes. First released last year, we've got news for you: it's not too late to dress like Timothée Chalamet! Nor Travis Scott and Christian Combs, for that matter.
'The whole fit is classic New York—casual-cool on first glance, but quietly luxe on further inspection' reported Vogue last year when everyone's favourite heart throb was papped wearing a pair of the Lanvin Curb trainers. Drawing their name from the curbs skaterboarders ride along, the trainer has a skater-influenced rounded silhouette, with a chunky tongue and thick laces. Sialelli was initially looking at Hugh Holland's photographers of skaters in LA in the 1970s, however the shoes laces are in fact inspired by the woven accessories on Japanese kimonos. This mixing of references perfectly encapsulates Sialelli's layered approach to design at Lanvin, whilst also hitting the sweet spot between high-end luxury and streetwear.
'I want to create characters and dress them in their imaginary everyday lives. For the winter 2020 collection, I imagined skateboarders as they were captured in Hugh Holland’s photos. These sneakers were, in my opinion, the most evident and relevant pieces to correctly represent and understand these characters' explains Sialelli.
Shown on the runway with trench coats and intarsia knits featuring graphics from the Italian comic book artist Hugo Pratt's series Corto Maltese, the Curb shoe also gave suiting and a buttery leather jacket in Lanvin blue an even cooler edge. Sialelli continues to evolve the Lanvin brand for a more contemporary menswear audience, with the Curb shoe also being developed for womenswear. Designed in six different colourways, the white, black and pale pink, similar to those favoured by Chalamet, are still available to buy. Go, go, go!