Tony Talks Alexis Mabille

After twenty-five years Alexis Mabille is an established member of the haute couture club, and for the press seeing his collections either on the catwalk, or in a showroom display it is always a pleasure. His success is quiet, no shouting or tricks, simply doing the job without exaggeration, and offering haute couture to a range of clients who value his work and its beauty.  To survive in fashion, mega stardom and celebrity isn’t always the only pathway, and indeed global attention isn’t always the key. To be successful, and to be a star within your own metier, and to consistently have clients isn’t about grabbing the front page. Doing a great job at designing beautiful clothes, which are beautifully made, season after season is a tough job. Alexis understands both flou, soft sewing, and tailoring, he is as happy designing a sharp tuxedo dress, as he is with layered tulle, as confident with a slender heavy satin robe du style as a airy bouffant ball gown.

First let’s look at the journey he’s made. After graduating from the Chambre Syndicale School in 1997 he worked at Ungaro, and Nina Ricci firstly then Christian Dior with John Galliano, Yves Saint Laurent with Stefano Pilati and Lancôme. In 2005 with help from his family he launched his own couture house. In the last few years, he’s also become a successful interior designer.

Alexis is articulate, witty and serious about his work, and across many seasons, I’ve witnessed his charm backstage with models and the team, focussed and articulate for interviews, and always pleased to welcome his clients. He sells couture directly though his belief in the craft and the possibilities of creating to the requirements of the individual. Alexis understands how clothes are made and constructed, about proportion and fabrics, and about the different silhouettes and approaches to each season a designer must offer to encompass a range of clients.

Talking to Alexis Mabille and looking at his clothes reveals how he does his job, and why his knowledge of creating a collection result in his presence season after season on the FHCM schedule. This season he has worked on a photographed look book, he has a wonderful roster of friends and clients, many of whom are both, who happily slipped into this season looks and performed for the camera. It’s a brilliant way of demonstrating how different his looks and clients are. The images also extend many of his creative philosophies and attitudes without any words being necessary. The reality of couture being that you need versatility and options, in fact a range of possibilities and nuances.

As we walked around the space Alexis talked and explained small points as we passed each look, as he said the reality of haute couture, a mix of silhouettes where colour brings them all together. Huge overwhelming trends and over worked inspiration and themes are absent from his creative philosophy, it’s about a couture reality, beauty and so many different personalities. He explained how a layered tulle skirt however full, must also have a lightness that as the wearer walks the legs are slightly visible. How the flow of a gown must allow for the client who is not model size to feel comfortable yet as glamorous. How the flow of the fabric must be soft and full but at the same time does not make the client look larger or feel enveloped in fabric. How the weight of the fabric is so important balancing between too stiff and unyielding, nd to soft and clinging. Alexis mentioned, as have other designers recently fabric problems, how prices for the basic tissues of couture have increased so much, and how there are fewer and fewer houses of the top-quality manufactures of couture worthy fabrics. As we looked at the collection he explained, and often touched the pieces, slightly moving or adjusting the fabrics and folds as we paused. We talked about his trips to America where the clients try on the clothes in a house party atmosphere, and how he suggests alterations for the individual, which led us to discuss stylists at the helm of houses who cannot do any of the methods.  He was literally talking nonstop with back-to-back clients and press from morning until night. He is social, but part of this is work, entertaining the clients or being entertained by them, talking and smiling, often answering questions or explaining about the work and art of couture. I loved the deep violet cocktail dress with a huge bow bodice, I loved the long line fit ‘n flare dress with gold brocade ribbon ties streaming down the back, I loved the black shawl collared cocktail dress whose hem was a flutter with black ostrich feather fronds. I loved the huge tulle skirts which had complex tiers and layers to produce his desired airiness and sexiness, and I also realised that one thing Alexis always brings to his work is that very thing. It’s the undeniable, oh so Paris, element and “je ne sais quoi”; sexiness, always implied never overstated and a magical element in his work.

Words by Tony Glenville