Alice Vaillant presented a refined, elevated collection full of men’s tailoring, with a twist, for spring.
“We really want to upgrade,” she said, explaining the focus was on elements such as material sourcing — each fabric used now is certified as sustainable — and silhouettes.
“I was inspired by architecture,” continued Vaillant, who showed her collection at the Centre Pompidou. The museum’s inside-out structure mirrored some of her clothes, which were carefully constructed, often with layers, to reveal what’s traditionally hidden. A purple lace sleeveless top deconstructs and flows into a long fringe of lace, revealing purple trousers beneath.
“I work on the contrast between rigidity and free-flowing styles,” continued Vaillant, who deftly mixed technical fabrics with raffia lace and had a tie-in with Swarovski this season. So crystal embellishments appeared as details, such as on an oversized smoking jacket’s lapels and sleeves, for instance, and patches of white lace spangled ankle-length black skirts.
Vaillant interjected more luxury fabrics, such as jersey. And she added denim as a category, with the GOTS-certified fabric sourced and washed in France.
There was a good quotient of men’s tailoring and outerwear in this primarily black-and-white collection.
Shoes — in the form of pump mules — are now part of the Vaillant lineup as well.
Earlier this month the designer received the emerging talent award, in the fashion category, as part of the Grands Prix de la Création de la Ville de Paris, prizes granted by the city of Paris honoring creatives.
