Step behind the curtain of any Paris Fashion Week show, and you’ll likely expect models in various stages of readiness and the organised chaos of garment racks. Step behind Alain Paul’s show, and you might find yourself feeling lost in the winds of misunderstanding. Are those the hushed whispers of ballerinas in anticipation of a grand performance, or is it the echo of this F/W 2024? Aptly named La Première and staged at the Théâtre du Châtelet, the boundary blurs in the delicate pas de deux between ballet and couture, guided by the artistic touch of a Vetements and Louis Vuitton alum—and past ballet performer, of course!
Before the overture of La Première unfolds, in the moments preceding the show, we encounter the collection in its raw beauty. In the second act, La Répétition, Alain Paul explores the nuances of ballet training, placing a specific focus on the justaucorps. Through a radical reinterpretation of tailoring, the linings of rehearsal trousers spill out over the waistband, creating the impression of an integrated skirt or cummerbund. This same technique manifolds trousers with looped elastic bands, inspired by dance belts and basculer skirts that are a nod to Pina Bausch’s memorable Le Sacre du Printemps from 1975. The ‘pièce de résistance’ of that historic staging, otherwise known as the standout moment, is embodied in the sole red dress of the collection, ingeniously fashioned by combining two distinct elements—one fixed, the other draped. The silhouette intensifies with intricately layered and twisted cupro separates, evoking a powerful, visceral impact.
