Alexis Mabille created classic couture for his eponymous couture house in Paris this season, doing so in a similar fashion to previous collections with one demarcating factor however; Spring 2016 was only about monochrome.
Iconic supermodels including Carmen Kass, Audrey Marnay and Estelle Lefebure were the familiar faces cast to bring colour to the strictly black on white parade of simple yet timeless couture cuts, starting with coat dresses frothing into feather tails, shawl and kimono=like wrap-dresses and hour-glass silhouettes and empire lines at almost every stage.
This was all Mabille’s self-professed “hymn to beauty. That’s why I called the collection ‘Timeless Beauties’ in my show notes”, commented the couturier backstage.
Throughout, each demure shape Mabille had masterfully cut, moved very well, with even the more overstated ones such as the powder-puff crinkled silk jacket that imitated an ominous rain-cloud or the stream of bows gushing from the neck on some gowns doing their part perfectly.
Come the finale, wherein Mabille decided to deliver a bright white partly embellished dress that was in turn partly sheathed by an impressive structured black cape – which stole the show, it was clear that Mabille’s latest performance was a bit of a couture coup.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Alexis Mabille