Couture is always a little, if not a lot, wilder in its grandiose diction. Alexis Mabille is a designer who knows how to tame it though, while releasing its chicest inhibitions at the same time, but maybe that’s just his knack for placing the “sophisticated” and the “casual” side by side. His variation of casual has an eccentric nonchalance that is plain to see in the short and sweet offering for Fall 2014, which tailors lace in a number of chic proportions for a faintly masculine edge.
The dainty mix and match couture avoided being frothy, plus, despite the slight incoherence, each piece is refined adequately enough to add something new to the equation. Long lavishly deconstructed gowns had a coquettish courtesan charisma to them, look to the over indulgence of lush layering of satin on fine filigree lace and tiered skirts, though in general each garment has its own personality with a similar spark.
Speaking of shiny effervescence, the sparkling embroidery of one plummy pink piece in particular stole the show, making a picture of Chiharu Okunugi, spiky fur tuft firmly positioned on her head. The fur, by the way, was in it through thick and thin, with stoles, muffs and trims making a fair few appearances. One of this season’s highlights was a handful of rich imperial red silk gowns that ensured we weren’t being sold short of trademark Mabille opulence, in a show that, like clockwork, resumed Mabille’s estimable run.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com