Compare this finely photographed fall 2020 look book with the runway photos for Alexandre Vauthier’s spring 2020 couture and you will see a great deal of overlap: This is the designer’s process. Couture is the good stuff that Céline Dion wears and that represents the apex of the project, while ready-to-wear is a carefully diluted version of that which has come before it. Here, the first two looks of each collection chimed to underline that connection, and there were further overlaps via Saharienne, gold stud pinstriped tailoring, organza triple-ruffle minidresses, and ’68 YSL–reminiscent sheer lace blouses. Fabulous Look 40 from couture was reproduced as a print on T-shirts under the word couture and in foreshortened organza minidresses in three colorways. There was way more in Vauthier’s showroom than these photos show, including great flat thigh-highs, giraffe-pattern jumpsuits in jersey and sequins, and bow-tied silk sheath dresses. The designer said he had been locked in his studio since November but is poised to head off for a week of scuba decompression, before beginning his cycle of ascent from couture to prêt-à-porter afresh for the new season. Vauthier is a service-nonstop designer who delivers with great gusto finely cooked classics garnished with his signature twist.
