SHOWGIRLS: Alexis Mabille is deepening his ties with the Lido Theater in Paris. Having designed the decor for the reopening of the former cabaret, Mabille has created the costumes for a new musical based on the French film classic “Les Demoiselles de Rochefort.”
While the couturier previously made costumes for Dita Von Teese and Katy Perry, and collaborated with Canadian opera director Robert Carsen on several theater projects, this was his first foray into musicals.
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Mabille is a fan of Jacques Demy, the director behind the original 1967 movie, which starred Catherine Deneuve and her sister Françoise Dorléac as twins.
“’The Young Girls of Rochefort’ is just so playful, but there’s always that touch of melancholy in Demy’s work,” he said. “I’ve probably seen the movie 15 times. It’s iconic.”
Director Jean-Luc Choplin had adapted two other Demy films for the theater, and felt the time was right to introduce younger generations to this one, and its classic score by Michel Legrand.
“He’s kept the songs but given the story a contemporary twist, so there are nods to the ’60s, mixed with these little anachronistic moments and hints of today. That’s what makes it connect with modern audiences,” Mabille said.
His costume designs play with the saturated palette of the original film, though he has switched the color codes for the two main characters: Delphine is now in yellow, and Solange in pink.
“I took a few liberties, but within reason. Some things I felt had to stay, because they’re important visual cues. We had to have a moment where the girls wear hats,” Mabille said.
“At the end, there is a kind of sparkly climax which is a little more couture, but mostly, it was a series of conversations with the director on how best to serve the story, because the colors are mainly carried by the costumes, not so much by the set design,” he added.
Mabille had to custom fit 140 outfits and adapt them for singers, actors and dancers. “It was like working on a collection,” he remarked.
The theater, where he presented his fall 2024 haute couture collection with a striptease performance by Von Teese, has become like a second home. Having spent several weeks in rehearsals, Mabille knows everyone from the technicians to the maintenance staff.
“This is a totally different experience because I’m not working with my usual team,” he said.
“Psychologically, it’s not the same either, because I’m interacting with so many departments I’ve never really worked with before, like the sound team. These days, actors have all sorts of tech hidden everywhere — little boxes strapped to their thighs, around their necks, under their wigs — so the lights follow them and the sound is perfect,” he explained. “There’s just so much to hide under a costume now.”
The musical, which opened on Oct. 2, is set to run for five months.
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