The women of Alexis Mabille’s show looked a lot less precious than usual; for starters, there was not a trace of his girly sheerness until nearly two-thirds into the lineup—and even then, only one of the looks leaned too baby doll. Instead, his characteristic drama took shape largely though crisp satin, lamé brocade, and piqué silks—less exposure, stronger presence.
It’s not uncommon for Mabille to draw on masculine codes to heighten the feminity; this time, aside from one lustrous Smoking, he gave classical feminine volumes—Watteau backs, corsets, and various full skirts—the right of way. And then there were the double French braids, a hairstyle that all too often gets conflated with a tough-girl attitude. These ones, however, were iced with costume jewels—as though the point was to keep these girls in a rarefied milieu.
“The most beautiful trait is to be yourself and own it,” read his quote that accompanied the show notes. Backstage, he added, “There’s so many personalities in these looks—some are chill, others are extremely couture. . . . I wanted to show the idea of women making choices for themselves through all this color and form.” Needless to say, at the couture level, choice becomes more imperative for the designer and higher-stakes for the client; but make the options persuasive enough and someone will be willing to pay. Mabille noted that the biggest dresses always sell first. In that case, the strongest contenders would be the emerald green gown in duchesse satin boasting a bustier that swooped around to a caped back; and the bustier gown covered in black guipure lace featuring a black corset and a giant bow through which the arms could slip through.