Like the personal appearances designers used to make to meet their adoring clientele, Alber Elbaz swooped into Barneys New York today in a flurry of ribbons and flowers for an intimate presentation of his fall 2012 Lanvin collection.

Hosted by a preggers Uma Thurman, the afternoon get-together was also a celebration of Alber Elbaz’s first decade at the house. “It’s almost like California cuisine,” he said in a pre-show speech. “We take the tradition, but we take off the butter and replace it with olive oil. The house of Lanvin is the oldest couture house in the world. And so I took some old pieces and remade them to be relevant, and that’s what it’s about…Because there’s nothing intellectual about a red dress, and there’s nothing intellectual about a roasted chicken. It’s just beautiful.”

Photos by Billy Farrell/BFA…