Seeing the Alexandre Vauthier Fall 2023 runway collection was like sitting in a time capsule & being transported back in time. Back in time some 40 years to the mid-1980s when proportions were grand, details were oversized, volume was large, & hair was even larger. It’s been a long time since a collection inspired by the much ballyhooed, & oft maligned, decade simply known by most as “the 80s”, was properly celebrated in a manner that made it look as good today as it did in the moment. Alexandre Vauthier did just that for his Fall 2023 collection that walked the runways of Paris this past week.
Black made up the bulk of the collection, punctuated with shocking doses of Neon Pink, Acid Green, & Citrusy Orange all of which appeared in furs, tulle & ruffles still strikingly set off against the base of the omnipresent Black. There were two aberrations from the formula above, that each stood out from the balance with shocking singularity, although one worked (the Silver mirrored asymmetrical dress that resembled smashed mirrors), & one didn’t (the Hunter Green fur hooded coat).
Alexandre Vauthier is a label that has yet to make any majorly serious inroads into the American fashion scene with the collection only able to be found in the most experimental, fashion forward boutiques in the country. This is a serious injustice. Collections of this sort deserve to be celebrated, deserve to be worn. I suspect that it’s only a matter of time for this one. It’s difficult to keep labels as brilliant as this one underground for too long.
Designer Website: www.alexandrevauthier.com
-R. Scott French
