The mood at Lanvin this morning was light, as the beautiful Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts swirled with piano music and sweet canalés.

The biggest surprise was immediate in the first ten exits. The boys came out in high-tech neon sneakers—a welcome update to the ubiquitous Lanvin sneakers we all love, interpreted as the running shoes we all wear. The show itself, we were told backstage, was an exercise in proportion, with shoulders dropped, waists lifted, and trousers widened. Boxy oversized double-breasted jackets were paired with skinnies, and skintight turtlenecks with wide-legged, high-waisted pants.

The Lanvin classics were all there, updated in their new proportions yet losing none of their charm. Fabrics, too, saw some change. Sporty metallics appeared in ultra-wide tuxedo pants and rubber was used where leather would have been. Even the hair had been slicked back to reveal the new fall face.

It was a joy to watch Alber Elbaz and men’s designer Lucas Ossendrijver in a light-hearted mood, playing with form and clearly reveling in the process. Their relaxed stroll at the end, full of smiles and waves, assured everyone that it was okay to feel optimistic.