Alexis Mabille was feeling fruity in Paris this season and an unexpected burst of watermelon motifs was the way in which the designer chose to express this. This singular design inflection meant sweet typically tropical hues dominated the entire collection, taking it all from Paris parlour rooms to Ipanema beach. Shapes were generally as similar as we’ve seen before from Mabille, with statement trousers, voluptuous skirts, dramatically lengthy gowns and jumpy jumpsuits all being given the everyday fashion enchanted treatment.
Mabille also excelled in his ability to not constrict the body in any way, working with the female form and only exaggerating proportions subtly with generous allotments of fabric. Sometimes that fabric took on too many kitsch affectations, the recurring watermelon print had a certain curtain chintz gone awry element to it, but it saw Mabille move out of his comfort zone to do something a little more Pop Art-esque than usual, and the shift gave SS16 a new spark of appeal.
Aside from the only print, that distinctly unmouthwatering watermelon print, the rest of the collection was more relaxed and sophistication generally reigned supreme for another season.
While Mabille is a designer that likes to throw the odd curveball to keep the fashion press interested in his elegantly analogous designs, the sophistication that he has soaked up during his nurturing in the Paris fashion scene assures that he has evolved a winning formula.
by Liam Feltham
Images courtesy of Alexis Mabille