Alexandre Mattiussi’s new blonde hair? Blame it on Rio. Everything else in this grand-scale Ami show, however, was as French as can be. In his closing model Laetitia Casta, Mattiussi even had France herself: Back in 1999 Casta was chosen to represent Marianne—the national embodiment—on banknotes and coins.
As he explained backstage the backdrop was a recreation of the new Ami headquarters on Place des Victoires, and the idea was that models were all different characters who were leaving their apartment building early one morning to go about their day’s activities. This straightforward device allowed Mattiussi to show a large collection of always shirtless tailoring, that came garnished with some strongly attractive pieces of outerwear. There were fewer more explicitly informal or evening looks and the occasional gentle surprise, such as skorts for both women and men and combat culotte pants in masculine tailoring looks.
Some overcoats featured large golden buttons, as did the shoulder of a reimagined marinière sweater in off-white wool and a chestpiece of faux fur (which Mattiussi trimmed himself pre-show to be just so). There was a tailored jumpsuit in gray wool, a two piece suit in leather, and cute slippers for women with approximately 20mm heels that resembled the chess pieces in the Palais Royale.
Said Mattiussi: “I feel what people connect with is maybe the sense of pure simplicity, good clothes, you know, in good fabrics. But not trying too hard.” This was an idealized vision of the Parisian morning—sans the lunatic Lime riders, the forgetful dog-walkers, and the slow moving trash trucks—and you could readily see the appeal in these done-up but unpretentious pieces.