This was rising designer Alain Paul’s biggest show yet, staged at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in a raw space that served as a fitting contrast to this thoughtful, rich and polished collection.
Paul drew inspiration from the museum’s archives, and looked afresh at 18th century, panniers, tapestries and corsetry. It got him thinking about the body “when it’s free, and when it’s constrained,” and about volume, texture and movement through space.
The process of archiving clothing also captured his imagination, which is why he laid a pair of white cotton gloves on every seat, and slipped transparent organza garment bags over some of the runway looks. He even worked Tyvek, a ultra-protective papery material used by archivists, into crinkly shirts, gloves and tank tops.
Paul called the collection “Répertoire,” and it evolved smoothly from fluid satin dresses with floppy panniers, to more sculptural suits and coats, many with wide shoulders and narrow waists. More textural pieces soon took over, including chunky sweaters that doubled as stoles, and others with delicate jacquard weaves.
Texture also came in the shape of a dramatic cream bow blouse that burst from the neck of a long matching coat and in the 3D tapestry motif on a denim jacket. Inspired by an 18th century design, the jacket was made in collaboration with the textile specialist Les Teintures de France.
Paul’s collection slipped easily into evening with flapper-ish slip dresses in sage, long slim skirts in ballet slipper pink or chocolate brown with a bow at the waist, and a lineup of dresses and long skirts made from a robust wool normally used for coats. He turned the fabric into a strapless gown with a blurry watercolor flower pattern and a thick belt knotted at the back.
What a show. It was difficult to sit on the bench and resist touching the clothes as they passed. But maybe that’s just what Paul was hoping for, and why he handed out the gloves at the start of the show.
