"What is the most beautiful in virile men is something feminine; what is most beautiful in feminine women is something masculine." That Susan Sontag quote provided Alexis Mabille with a starting point for his new Haute Couture collection. Mabille s general idea was to incorporate some element of a man s wardrobe into each of the outfits. Nothing groundbreaking as far as concepts go, but it did produce one of the designer s most restrained and accomplished offerings in some time. First out was a "tuxedo" consisting of a double-breasted jacket and long, narrow skirt, the wool on both pieces fused with lace to create a tempting bit of peekaboo at the waist. Elsewhere, the neckline of a black lace gown was accented with lapels, and a white bib-front shirt was extended into a dress. As a rule, the more masculine the look, the more compelling it was. A frilly dress embroidered with naive parrots on a vine lost the plot. But an emerald green strapless number, the torso of which was built like a jacket with lapels peeled back to reveal the creamy satin corset underneath? We d bet Mabille s star client Dita Von Teese already has that one on hold. It put proof to the Sontag maxim, and then some.
