Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Fall 2009 Haute Couture kick off: Alexis Mabille




Alexis Mabille , who showed a very interesting and compelling mens collection just days ago unveiled his Fall 2009 couture collection. Much anticipation accompanied this presentation. As I've heard so much about this relatively new couturier I looked anxiously at what he would present. For the most part I didn't so much see a collection of couture but a ready to wear collection with some lovely offerings. There were very beautiful dresses, a suit or two and gowns. To my mind very little of it felt like Haute Couture. Granted , the criteria for what constitutes couture is a very broad one but there was a prevailing sense that this was Pret a Porter. Charming, artful creations were scattered throughout. His leit motif and most used fabric was lace. The shapes were very soft and loose giving me the sense that draping, tailoring, a sophisticated understanding of what constitutes flou was barely in evidence.
A beautiful suit in white with double breated jacket, frothy blouse and lace inlaid pants was the most dramatic of the suits. A serrated edge on the jacket and the clever inlay of lace running down the leg of the trouser was very elegant and fresh. Other suits were just that, merely suits.One in pale rose looked like Armani collection, not Prive. Another in a rich brocade was a jacket topping hotpants. Nothing about either seemed hand made or even particularly rich.
Dresses ran the gamut of a voile dress in white, better suited for a racy french maid. Some of the lace dresses were just banal except for the artistry of the lace itself. Couture is so much more than just the fabrics, but by their shapes. My favorite pieces were the palest blue satin organza tops over circular matching short organza skirts all trimmed with a tea stained lace trim. As lovely as these pieces were, they were too easy, too simple to translate as more than nice ready to wear.
There were one or 2 fantastic dresses in silk drap.One column was asymmetrically draped under one arm and fell as a column. Very chic. Spare lovely. But in the end it felt as though he'd not made the leap yet to the vaunted title of Haute Couturier. Here are a few examples to illustrate my points.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

No, he's not made the full leap yet into Couture based on these pics. I've got to look at this collection in full and more closely, but his last showing showed in incliantion towards it. This one, from the pics posted, still show the inclination.

Thye guy's got lots of talent, no doubt, but he's not developed the sensibility yet to take it from PaP to Couture. This takes time..shrug.

brooksie

Anonymous said...

Now that I've seen it what's good is solid, but what's not good is very bad. He did some very nice stuff w/ lack and charmeuse.

I've noticed w/ the up and comer couturiers that they sometimes lack fabric sense and high res photos really show this up, but Mabille, to his credit, has a good fabric sense. It's some of his looks that are the issue.

Whaddaya think Fluff?

brooksie

Anonymous said...

The last gown is ravishing, don't you think? But what ruins the whole show, frankly, are what strongly appear to be a fake breasts trapped in a strapless dress. If you're going to choose a model to show your fashions to perfection, choose one who doesn't have clip-ons. It's all in the details, no?

hansaxel said...

Hi Fluff Chance,
I've juste finished reading the very interesting article about you in the NY Times... and I really fell in love with your blog!!

Regarding Alexis Mabille, you are perfectly right: few dresses are Haute Couture and that's on purpose! Mabille chose to present his clothing during the Couture Season because it's much easier to have media attention at that time than during the ready to wear week, which is packed with shows.
This July he was presenting the summer 2010 collection while the real Haute Couture Collections were for Winter 09/10.

SassyNYC said...

Completely off subject, I just read the article the Times did on you and I am glad to have met you and will definitely become an ardent follower/reader!! I am sorry to hear that you must close down you fashion house but certainly send best wishes to you and hope that you will once again land on your feet to take the fashion world by storm!!

P Adhikari said...

I completely agree with you on Alexis Mabille's collection, though the press at large including Suzy Menkes felt that a "light collection" was the future of couture in tough times.And what were those pink and blue pieces of cloth wrapped around the models(shown in the link below)?
http://fashionfifthavenue.blogspot.com/2009/07/mirror-mirror-on-wall-who-is-worst-of.html