What makes Alexis Mabille such a respected couturier is the detail he puts into everything that is associated with his name. As equally attracted to the appearance of a model’s face as he is to her gown, Mabille has got a lot to give yet.
Starting off bold with a grandiose floral-printed and bejewelled kimono dress the designer of fantasy dreams clearly decided that sticking to one well-trodden path was going to be a rather lacklustre tactic. So, quite oddly enough, Mabille poised strumpet-y bustiers against graceful oriental origami-like capes and then revisited the florals some more for some wonderfully decadent, gorgeously blossoming silk slips.
The main thread of dramatic structured gowns was probably its strongest aspect and were executed in the most brilliant colours about on Couture’s first day, flaunting some of the most expensive looking designs out there. It’s clear Mabille has the customer base and his loyal followers must be coming back for more, otherwise his designs wouldn’t keep getting grander, so undeniably his formula is a winning one.
At Glass, this is the kind of couture that really counts for us and while bows like that midnight blue silk manifestation that took life towards the end have absolutely no place in the real world, who really cares to consider fashion in the real world anyway. Bravo Alexis on another couture show that your plutocrat consumer base should lap up, and whilst it didn’t necessarily evidence any real evolution from a critical perspective, we are all the better for it being a part of our lives.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Style.com