Over the past several seasons, Alexis Mabille has reigned in his focus. For spring, the designer presented a lineup of eveningwear options that transposes his couture sensibility to the flexibility – and softer prices – of ready-to-wear. That strategy also grants him the freedom to play with proportion, length, and embellishments as he goes along, ensuring that his customer will never come across the same look in LA as Singapore, Paris or London.
“It’s like circling back to a different era, when not everything was the same all over the world,” he said during a visit to his boutique in the historic Galerie Vivienne.
In just fifteen or so options, the designer ticked several boxes, from perennial black gowns —with a pilgrim yolk or a lace-trimmed bib or white lace inserts — to pleated numbers in saturated colors, for example, a wraparound skirt in yellow satin, or a spare strap dress in pleated fuchsia silk, topped with a sleeveless bolero made of vintage flowers leftover from a full-length coat of seasons past. Similarly, he offered a black vest with scrollwork as an easy update piece. The sequined sneakers in these photos are not just showpieces, and neatly encapsulated the attitude.
Arguably the most charming piece was a gown the designer made from a textured brocade showered with flowers, a fabric he developed especially to reprise all the colors in this collection. A dress made from that would make a statement even without any further embellishment.
