PARIS.- Christie’s presents Un Salon par Alexis Mabille, an exhibition and private sale in the style of the greatest couturiers being held in Paris from October 24 to November 19. While New Yorkers could admire the works of Francois-Xavier Lalanne in a scenography by Simon Porte Jacquemus, Christie’s France has entrusted the scenography of this exhibition to another fashion icon, Alexis Mabille. A well-known figure in Haute Couture with a passion for the decorative arts, Alexis Mabille extends his creativity to design. His design studio, BEAU BOW, creates warm, sophisticated environments. Blending colors and styles, Alexis Mabille’s salon revives and modernizes the spirit of Callot Sœurs, whose hôtel particulier on Avenue Matignon, designed by the architect René Sergent, is now the headquarters of Christie’s in Paris. The salons of the most famous fashion house of the Belle Époque and of the Roaring Twenties were already a melting pot of styles, where exotic Coromandel lacquer folding screens rivalled the sophistication of Louis XV furniture in their sophistication. In his approach, Alexis Mabille also values the diversity of tastes and the emotion generated by each object. Yet by combining them with his own creations, he casts a fresh look on design and offers a fresh take on interior decoration. Never free of malice, his unique eye is always synonymous with innovative and unexpected combinations that will surprise collectors and visitors alike.
“I have always been sensitive to the decorative arts in my approach to fashion. Above and beyond clothing, this has constantly led me to reinvent the spaces and places around me. In this approach, past and present influences are inexhaustible sources of inspiration, allowing me to blend periods and styles.” - Alexis Mabille
A marble allegory of music by Sarah Bernhardt, who was much more than just a client for Jacques Doucet, illustrates the interchanging nature of the worlds of art and fashion. The quasi-architectural rigor of one of Jacob Desmalter’s pieces evokes the passion for architecture that has inspired many fashion designers over the years. A Coromandel lacquer folding screen inevitably brings to mind Gabrielle Chanel, who is said to have owned 32 of them in her apartment on rue Cambon. The refinement of Pierre Roussel’s exotic lacquers reflects the refinement of couturiers’ interiors, masters in the art of blending the most diverse cultures and periods. A table by Diego Giacometti might have appealed to Hubert de Givenchy, as did this set of 18th century chairs, a category of objects he was particularly fond of, such as this parclose mirror or a series of busts of Roman emperors.
Like many of his illustrious predecessors, Alexis Mabille has a gift for drawing on his surroundings to reinvent everything and create a unique style. Keen to entertain, his decorative style is a reflection of himself. He brings together different periods, mixes styles, uses spaces and plays with materials and colors. What sets BEAU BOW – his interior decoration studio – apart today is the ability to create warm, sophisticated environments that come to life with their hosts. Since 2021, Alexis Mabille has also been producing limited edition furniture collections, designed and made in the purest tradition of French craftsmanship.
Christie’s and designers: new collaborations
For the past five years, Christie’s France has been fully committed to contemporary art in all of its forms. Young artists (Audrey Guttman, Raphaël Denis, My-Lan Hoang Thu, etc.) or established designers (Matthieu Lehanneur, François Azambourg, etc.) are now regularly invited to exhibit in the salons of the Avenue Matignon or to create the scenography. In 2022, Giambattista Valli designed an original scenography for the first Parisian edition of the Thinking Italian auction while Vincent Darré was artistic director for a Jewels sale.
