Vestal Magazine

All Photos are courtesy of Stationservice

Fashion proclaims that most young bright designers are from London. However, this time the city of light have produced the latest wunderkind. Although couture is widely regarded as a sinking ship to many in the industry with collections that once contained more than 60 mouth watering looks, a mere 30 is considered an accomplishment nowadays. Through the decades, as ready to wear took over women's closets, many brilliant craftsmen closed their shops, leaving the designers fighting over a handful of ‘gems’ to complete their intricate designs. A new young generation is left to invent new ways of reaching their luxurious showpieces and in the process is drastically modernizing the face of the art-form. Couture designer Alexandre Vauthier is a leader of this new generation.
With his collections being barely three years on the runway he seems to have gathered much attention with his seemingly ‘overnight’ success. But truthfully Vauthier studied his craft and perfected his skills for many years before starting his own line. Alexandre says: “I worked a lot and have even more work to do. But I love it! I am curious to learn, to propose, and above all be part of this piece of incredible human history”. He started at Thierry Mugler's studio after graduation. Then spent eight years working as head designer of the Jean Paul Gaultier couture team. Working alongside two of the most iconic French fashion designers gave him the necessary knowledge to start his own line. In 2009 he presented his first collection, full of astro-style shoulders and patent leather obi belts.

Vauthier proposes a strong shape statement and flawless architecture of clothing to enhance a woman's character. His creations are not for withering flowers or fashion addicted hipsters. “I design for different women, with different styles, backgrounds, and cultures but that have one thing in common: a strong personal style. All my clients are unique and have different characteristics”. Vauthier is fully committed to his idea of what enhances a woman's figure: “I try to give strength to soft silhouettes. Balance is key. A woman is made of all existing emotions. Strong or fragile, the clothes must accompany that”.
His autumn/winter 2012 couture show was a catwalk ablaze with models in fiery red looks, reminiscent of diabolical bond-girls from the eighties. From a fur coat with cinched waist, a cropped feather cloak made to look like monkey fur to silk tops with folds reminiscent of kimono. “I love Japanese influences and Tokyo. It must have been felt in my collection. What is more wearable than a kimono? When revisited of course. The starting point of the collection was the history of lipstick and make-up application. Lines had to be retained and flexible at the same time. As a woman applies make-up she adopts a flexible and soft gesture to get the desired end result”.
Vauthier aims to construct a garment around a woman's figure, rather than just focus on the glam-effect and prettiness of a piece. In order to achieve his sophisticated creations Alexandre uses the best Paris couture artists such as Lesage, Lemarié, and Goossens. The holy trinity in craftsmanship specializes in embroideries, fine feathers and jewelry, and are the last place where designers can find the hands that will sew and construct wearable magic. His passion for materials is also evident in his latest collection; “We used two different techniques on the last collection. We studied the thermoforming of neoprene and satin and replaced the classic couture fabric of silk gazar with a mixture of cellulose and silk, which brought more shine and transparency to the fabric. I love using new materials and making use of different and innovative technologies”. This love of the new could be attributed to his learning masters. “I decline my schooling course: couture PAP. It was too business focused. I learned everything from my ‘fathers’. Precision in construction and endurance from Mugler. Tailoring in wearable clothing from Gaultier. Assisting them educated me to be a jack of all trades”.

Despite the fact that his designs have been worn by celebrities such as Lady Gaga and Beyoncé, Vauthier is very humble about the exposure: “I am very happy because I love them. They inspire me because of their strength, talent, workmanship, and energy. I am just delighted they like my work and clothes“. The gold mini dress Beyoncé wore during her performance at Glastonbury was splashed all over the media, for it's glamorous appearance as well as exposure of the songstress famous body part. Vauthier is optimistic about the future of his couture line and the industry as a whole. “We will always need extraordinary luxury and difference even in a global society.”

You can find out more about Alexandre Vauthier, his work, and store locations on his web page www.alexandrevauthier.com.

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