Guests at Alexis Mabille’s show Tuesday were escorted to their plush seats inside the Lido 2 Paris, which he recently redesigned, where waiters served Champagne from a bottle waiting at each table. The tone was set; it was time to settle in and enjoy the show.
The sparkling elixir provided inspiration for a color palette of nude sheath dresses and liquid lamé robes that mimicked bubbles rising to the surface of a glass.
On black velvet, a scattering of silver sequins nodded to the venue’s striking water features — before the show started, a curtain of droplets descended continuously behind the stage, hiding the runway and photographers’ pit. Likewise, further designs jingled with strands of shimmering beads in graduated hues.
Mabille ramped up the volume of his Old Hollywood silhouettes, using corsetry elements and horsehair reinforcements to elevate their proportions. The lapel-like shoulders on hourglass dresses in crêpe or duchesse satin rose toward the ceiling. In one instance, sequined inner adornments subtly peeked out from within, glittering under the lights. In vivid red, a giant satin bow seemed to float like a three-dimensional cape, bobbing as the model walked between the rows of tables to reach the runway. Shirt silhouettes were cleverly transformed into shapely evening dresses, while collar details highlighted bodices and shoulders, as on a bustier design with graphic lacing details across the bust.
There were nods to the iconic venue’s history, with a feathered headdress with a cat’s head mask and a leopard-patterned sequin dress with pheasant’s plumage protruding from its shoulders.
As the lights went down at the end of the show, there was a surprise in store. The floor opened up, with Dita Von Teese emerging from below, seated in a giant Champagne glass. As she performed her striptease, she playfully splashed at the front-row guests with her legs as she twirled.