Alexis Mabille opted out of a runway show this season, presenting his couture collection in the gilded salons of the Fondation Dosne-Thiers. “I wanted to get back to the very essence of couture, which is about a personal relationship between the designer and the client,” he explained. Indeed. Unlike ready-to-wear, buying a couture dress is a truly unique experience, tailor-made according not only to the customer’s body type but also her special requirements. More often than not, the client in question has stellar spending power and a lifestyle to match, which makes exclusivity (and dedication to her whims and wishes) almost a prerequisite. Tellingly, this collection was called Tête-à-Tête.
The dresses, exposed on mannequins, were almost like a series of diverse characters: the Frivolous, the Playful, the Wild, the Thoughtful. There was something for every Mabille-loving woman, a variety of shapes and silhouettes encompassing a vast spectrum of body types (and a smaller spectrum of bank accounts). Elongated, sleek, mermaid-like bustier sheaths, lavishly embroidered with pearls and silver threads, alternated with theatrical, roomy, ample ruffled capes in dramatic black faille. Sexy corseted bodysuits and see-through black lace catsuits that could make a Playboy Bunny blush contrasted with demure, Parisian-bourgeois ensembles of silk pleated skirts paired with white lace high-collar blouses. What could possibly look good on a romantic femme bonbon? Obviously, an ethereal cloud of dusty pink tulle whipped up merengue-like into tiered concoctions. And what about an intellectual prima donna who has a penchant for architectural shapes and isn’t afraid of grand gestures? Voilà! A long wrap dress, not too revealing, but magnificent in its white splendor, with a wide collar for added drama.
But beyond the very of-the-moment, diverse offering, the thing all the looks had in common was not only the exquisite, sumptuous execution required from an experienced couturier but also the panache and youthful esprit the witty Mabille infused the collection with: No matter the body type, a joyful sense of glamour always feels uplifting.
