Amid the more directional Paris collections, Ami stands out for its shrugging, unstudied approach to cool. Its young founder and designer, Alexandre Mattiussi, spent time at Dior Homme's 30 Avenue Montaigne line, at Marc Jacobs, and at Givenchy, but the sensibility of his own collection, now in its second season, hews closer to the model of A.P.C. In price, in style, and in toto, Ami is approachable. Friendly, you might say.
Mattiussi stages his presentations as seemingly impromptu get-togethers. "We are in summer, we are in Paris, just guys having drinks," the designer said at his alfresco presentation outside a Marais cafe tonight. His ambition is to create a full wardrobe, soup to nuts; his first collection included everything from jeans and tees to shirts to a tux, and this one added swimwear and underwear to the mix, too.
"Panache, but not too much effort" is the desired look. It came through especially clearly in cotton and linen Prince of Wales checked blazers (single- or double-breasted); slim, over-dyed denim; and sherbet-colored suede mocs, in powder pink, blue, and rust. What emerged more intriguingly here than last season was his skill as a colorist. Still, Mattiussi said, "It's not about having a fashion point of view for the moment." The ambition is modest, but the upshot is that there's barely a piece out of place.
And for balance, here's an immodest ambition: worldwide reach. It's quite possible that this presentation marks Ami's last moments as a relative unknown. His first collection ships next month to Barneys, Mr Porter, Le Bon Marché, 10 Corso Como, and The Webster.
