It’s not hard to spot a Vauthier woman. She’s strong, sexy and exudes empowerment, donned in black silk velvet, camouflage hues, sequin leggings and deconstruction done in the best way. The pieces in his latest runway and ready-to-wear collections are worn like armor with dramatic shapes and plumes and trimmed with gold hardware. Sort of how I imagine haute couture in the apocalypse. Alexandre Vauthier was born in France, where he found a unique talent for sketching and structuring clothing. He graduated from École Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode and got his start in fashion working at Thierry Mugler. Soon he received the opportunity to join Jean Paul Gaultier, taking the lead as studio director. And over the next eight years, he honed his skills and vision with the iconic brand before stepping out on his own with the launch of the first Alexandre Vauthier collection in 2009. Popstar Rihanna is credited with propelling the designer into the celebrity spotlight, commissioning red-carpet looks, tour costumes, and exclusive album cover features. In 2010, after four independent runway shows, Vauthier was invited to 2011-2012 Haute Couture Week. And from there his brand grew swiftly into its elegant, cutting-edge potential. Today he caters to an audience of esteemed couture clients and celebrities from all over the world, as he expands his artistic reach to include forward-thinking fashion, chic RTW, costumes, perfume, music and interior design. In this issue, we catch up with the prolific designer to see what’s on his hot list for LA. –Courtney Fortune
