For his second collection, Vetement and Louis Vuitton alum Alain Paul proved himself to be a rising star in Paris with his clever, deconstructive take on formal attire.
It was a sophisticated meal, with details rooted in costumes for dance rehearsals. She proposed high-waisted pants inspired by black footless tights and even reinterpreted the way dancers fold their waistbands into extra-thick girdles.
There was also plenty of structured outerwear and double-layered layered dresses, also made from fabrics supplied by Nona Source, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton's deadstock repurposing platform.
“I was very inspired by this piece called 'Lamentation' by Martha Graham from the 1930s for the season, which represents pain, emotion and anxiety. She portrayed him transforming emotions into physical expression,” Paul explained backstage about how the collection was inspired by movements.
The designer said he wanted to reflect his journey in dance with the way the collection progressed on the catwalk. He began with tight, restrained looks that symbolized the rigor of classical ballet, in which he trained professionally as a child. But as he moved into contemporary dance, the rules were discarded, as he did in the second half of the collection, where a sense of freedom emerged.
Its precise execution demonstrated that Paul had received training in some of the best places in the industry. He mentioned that he studied a lot of old clothes by cutting them up and seeing how things were made in the past.
Paul said the idea of an eponymous label has been brewing for years. Last year he launched the brand with his partner Luis Philippe, who used to work at Colette with Sarah Andelman.
“At some point I felt like I needed to express myself. So we set aside a budget during our races to save. I started with Demna in a living room and it became a brand, so why couldn't it be us?,” she added.
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