Alexis Mabille spring 2009

Alexis Mabille is a self taught couturier with a Paris' Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture diploma earned in 1997. Before launching his own line of both womenswear and menswear in 2005 he did his apprenticeship at Ungaro and Nina Ricci, and worked for 9 years at Dior designing for Dior Homme line overseen by Hedi Slimane and creating fine jewelry for John Galliano label.

His spring 2009 collection presented during the couture week in Paris had as starting point the idea of "an imaginary mixed school", a fun, unconventional gang of students, teacher and parents.

The two main sources of inspiration: college/military uniforms and sports attire as well as formal evening wear translated into braids trimmed cardigan jackets, trench coats, polo shirts, tuxedos, details and accessories such as large metallic buttons and belts, and bowties, an older Alexis obsession.

The bow motif, which he started working on in 2005 with TREIZEOR, an inventively revisited line of bow ties, was found on pocket flaps and collars or turned up as peacock-feather brooches. The collection has a distinct freshness and charming humor, while subtle shaking the dress code: day wear mixed with evening wear, sports with formals, feminine influences.

Ok; maybe it's not very likely to fill your wardrobe any time soon with flowered pajamas, lemon yellow, aqua blue and baby pink hues but the silhouette is kind of neat: narrow, tight and elongated, with short and fit jackets and coats worn with wide-leg pants or slim-fitting trousers.