Before social media ruled the world, Alexandre Vauthier wanted to get into fashion because “I wanted to be part of this bubble, a bubble that makes you dream, but that wasn’t necessarily that accessible,” he said. “You had to work for it.” It sounds strange now, but it is well understood: in a time when everything is served on a digital silver platter, where does a designer go next?
“If you leave nothing to the imagination, what happens to desire?” thought Vauthier during a showroom visit. He never shies away from body-con and prefers something a little more mystical: “Desire and fantasy are so much more interesting than pornography.” Those two concepts keep him moving forward, he suggested.
For spring, Vauthier picked ideas from couture. A printout with primary color images was taken directly from the sketches on his desk, he said. Sharply cut shoulders did all the work on an asymmetrical jersey top; a ditch was cut to crop length; a razor-cut jacket was paired with deep-cuffed denim. A bomber with generous curves exuded an 80s vibe. Several versions of jersey jumpsuits showed a certain radicality in the line, most wearable in a classic shape, but also in a very photogenic bat sleeve number with one leg.
For the evening, metallics ruled. A brocade developed for couture was reimagined in Lurex with a touch of silk; liquid mercury lamé was made into an almost weightless party dress; and gold lamé was pleated into a stately hourglass number. A bronze lamé top – cropped, pleated and as sculptural as a shell – was a highlight. Also strong were a few pieces not shown here, including sequined beach-to-dinner summer knits and a little black hourglass dress with a starry backstory: the designer made one for Emmanuelle Seigner to wear on stage. Bungalow 21, a play about Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller and Yves Montand and Simone Signoret in 1960s Hollywood, now running at Théâtre de la Madeleine in Paris. It had the simple beauty that Vauthier says he always looks for. That dress and a few other pieces here accomplished just that.
