If Alexis Mabille’s past two haute couture shows expressed a personal narrative, this one came across as professionally on point. Models replaced the friends and muses he recruited for those previous occasions, and a raised runway kept the format classic and gazes focused. Unsurprisingly, this was in service of the collection, which Mabille described as, “A bit traditional but with a cooler feeling.” The 23 passages spanned the tailleur-flou continuum, from the mauve Perfecto lengthened into a floor-sweeping dress to a corseted confection in peachy plumetis and tulle. Perhaps owing to its pastel palette, which Mabille likened to dawn as the sun begins to break through a grayish sky, the lineup seemed more suited to spring than fall. But the hues were also his effort to channel Cy Twombly, whose instinctive, uninhibited approach left its mark on the art world and beyond. Mabille has never been a minimalist and haute couture would not seem like the time to try, yet a slight tilt towards spontaneity over excessive surface detail suggested the influence. A corset paired with a skirt draped to mimic a trench tied at the waist was unexpectedly offbeat. With the “Gainsborough blue” sheath in crepe and lace enhanced by a collapsed white shirt, the flirt factor was high.
Those two examples played sharply against the final grouping gowns; here the gleam of radzimir buttressed from within and underneath produced volumes that were neither forcefully architectural nor softly romantic, even though the workmanship was clear. Where the amplified shirtdress in white silk appeared ambiguously ceremonial, the final unfurling cape and crystal trousers had opera singer appeal. Mabille mentioned he now has clients in their late teens. “They don’t want to go to where their grandmothers go,” he said. But of course, and rightly, he’s designing for both.
