Shhhh, don’t call it “quiet luxury.”
“That’s not my point of view,” said Alexandre Vauthier of the buzzword on everyone’s lips this season. It may fit in perfectly with the trend, but the designer was careful to clarify his approach. “I wanted to pare back to the essentials.”
Known for his sexy collections, Vauthier dialed it down. The season was both quieter — in a deep palette that bypassed the bright pops of fluorescent colors he’s favored in recent seasons — and luxurious. He used heavy velvet and brocades on pantsuits that drew up across the body and enveloped the arms, or covered them with long capes.
These were new shapes for Vauthier in inventive ways of draping and pleating. Belted coats in brocade folded at the waist for added volume atop a pencil pant; striking shoulders were cut with military precision on a high-necked silver suit jacket that draped over matching trousers and boots for a complete color look.
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“There is too much information in the world. It’s too noisy, and super aggressive,” he said backstage after the show, citing the bombardment of bad news events in the world. “I wanted something more stable, less anxious.”
A party look or two still made an appearance — it is Vauthier after all — with a skintight spangled bodysuit and a bikini-cut, leg-baring bodysuit in a silver lamé. But any overt sexiness was subdued.
Vauthier continued to work in the solid color looks he favors, including coordinating accessories. But boots were not quite as sky-high this season, with rounder toes and thicker, sturdier heels.
He pared back to core tones of black and white, navy, copper and gold. The designer created a classic tuxedo for men and women, and a pussy-bow cape with dramatic draping. He also researched ‘80s archives to find vintage fabrics from Chanel and Yves Saint Laurent, and had them remade by the original supplier.
If it’s not quite “quiet luxury,” Vauthier showed a standout collection of subtle elegance.