Dance and fashion are always intertwined for Alain Paul. So, too, does the concept form the foundation of the designer’s namesake label, ALAINPAUL, which debuted in Paris in 2023 and swiftly became an LVMH Prize finalist a couple of years later. With a professional background in contemporary ballet, Paul uses the catwalk space as his stage. His designs, which often mix choreography references with sharp tailoring, translate into garments that marry freedom of movement and conceptuality.
Named Répertoire, the Fall/Winter 2026 collection, presented at the Parisian Musée des Arts Décoratifs, aimed to create a parallel between an evolving body of work and the human experience of clothing wearability, when items gain new life throughout the years. In dance, a repertoire can describe a collection of pieces that are continuously used in different bodies for different purposes.
Including references from the museum’s archives that ranged from the 18th century until contemporaneity, the season’s show notes set the tone for what was to come: “The proposal explores the tensions of the body through the changing clothing proportions of history in dialogue with the image- and comfort-driven culture of dressing that defines the present day,” read an excerpt of the text.
Tension was achieved through the use of buttoning detailing in experimental tailoring. Cinched waists in coats and jackets were juxtaposed with hip-voluminous dresses and skirts, equally with 18th-century pannier structures. Draping built expansion, while looser, lightweight silk pieces flowed freely.
Merging casual elements with formality and sportswear ideas with traditional attire, two collaborations emerged. A partnership with Les Teintures de France, an artisanal dyeing company, resulted in denim jackets and trousers with printed 18th-century tapestry motifs, as well as a dress and a top with floral prints that echoed embroideries from the same period. A patchworked shearling jacket was also part of the collab, highlighting materiality and texture.
Award-winning Swiss textile designer Cécile Feilchenfeldt teamed up with Paul to craft corseted knitwear and 3D metallic jewellery, smoothly blended into knitted pieces and inspired by Opéra Garnier’s trompe-l’oeil stage ornaments.
Zooming in, fabrics were manipulated to convey the passage of time. Pleats, folds, and textures were intentionally present, as were transparent organza cover-ups that mimicked plasticky garment bags. Bow-decorated opera gloves, the accessory of the season, were styled either to contribute to the elegance of regal ruffled collars, romantic knitwear and floral-printed dresses, or to bring a delicate element to fluid, tailored combos. Let’s dance.
Words by Ketlyn Araujo
