Even if you couldn t be bothered to read the show notes, which enthusiastically explained that Alexis Mabille was feeling the early-eighties vampire flick The Hunger this season, the fact that the Bauhaus track "Bela Lugosi s Dead" was looping on the sound system would have clued you in to the designer s theme. Much of this show was like that: just a bit too on-the-nose. In particular, Mabille s approach to referencing eighties-era silhouettes and more-is-more styling was rather too literal to feel elevated; and studded, crocheted, and gold-tone looks likewise went at the glam-goth vibe with overmuch directness. You didn t get the sense that Mabille was adding anything very new to that conversation. Still, this collection did have its strengths. Mabille s tailoring—a couple of gray flannel looks accented with camel, for instance—could have formed the basis for a very strong show. The designer was also on to something with his blouson-sleeved shirting and his pieces in a multicolored leopard dévoré. Overall, though, there was too much going on here, and more problematically, Mabille s maximalism suffered from a lack of restraint. Even a big look demands design discipline—especially a big look, in fact.
