When Alexandre Vauthier first met Rihanna nine years ago, they became fast friends. He was a new talent, and she was already a global star with four studio albums under her belt. As the designer remembers it, she saw just one of his collections and asked him to send her pieces from his studio.

That was just the beginning of Vauthier’s relationship with the singer.

He went on to write the preface of Rihanna’s book, create looks for her music videos and shoots, and dress her for numerous red carpet events and performances (remember her outfit for the 2016 VMAs?), as recent as the 2018 Grammys.

Working with Rihanna was the kickoff to a star-studded chapter of his career, which would include a myriad of celebrity partnerships with some of the biggest names on the planet: Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Bella Hadid, Kerry Washington, Ciara, Beyoncé, and Dua Lipa are all fans.

But Vauthier doesn’t necessarily think about influence or star-power when he thinks about his brand’s “woman”: “I think about all the strong personalities, and I dress them for that,” he says, under the lights of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, right before his latest couture show. “Dressing them in this way, you eventually find the sensibility of each kind of person. You start to recognize something inside and you can express it.”

Vauthier is shy when talking about his famous clients—even his publicist says he prefers to respect their privacy rather than count how many times Rihanna has worn his looks. But he has an undeniable influence in those circles. In fact, he’s become one of the go-to couturiers for some of the most high-power and influential figures in fashion and entertainment.

He stands out in the couture space as one of the few still independently-owned houses showing as part of the calendar (his company has investors, but isn’t owned by a luxury conglomerate) and keeping his operation relatively small, even a decade in.

Within the fashion industry, couture occupies it’s own very special niche: It has its own fashion week, but shows are often more intimate than those for ready-to-wear collections and feature garments that take hundreds of hours of labor to complete—embroidery, stitching, and embellishment done in specialized ateliers. In order to even use the “Haute Couture” designation, designers must be approved by the governing body of the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode in Paris, since the term has legal implications in France. So, it’s particularly difficult to break into, especially if you’re a new name.

But Vauthier certainly has the pedigree: The French designer has been consistently working since he graduated from the École supérieure des arts et techniques de la mode, or ESMOD, in Paris in the 1990s—first at Thierry Mugler (the wildly creative couture designer who’s dressed the likes of David Bowie, Lady Gaga, and Beyoncé) and later at Jean-Paul Gaultier (the brain behind many of Madonna’s iconic looks; Vauthier would go on to oversee its couture branch for eight years).

He began his namesake line in 2009, and it would quickly become synonymous with sharply-tailored shoulders, sexy mini dresses, and thigh-high skirts that blend ‘80s glamour and modernity.

Vauthier maintains that his blazers, minis, and gowns are his signatures, along his with his highly-dramatic, Swarovski-coated footwear. “I just love working—and I love, love making dresses,” he says.

Vauthier describes his design process as customer-first: “If you are a singer, I’m going to create something more visual,” he explains. “This is the way I create and I think about all the women, not just one type of woman—the woman who wants to say something and exist.”

This approach has attracted a returning clientele that includes Hadid, Jenner, and even First Lady of France Brigitte Macron.

Macron, in particular, has proven to be a fan of his structured outerwear—she wore an Alexandre Vauthier number just week, ahead of his Fall 2018 couture show. “She recognized a certain cut in my clothing,” the designer says, “and she asked to try a blazer… She said, ‘This is a Brigitte Macron blazer,’ and wow, I’m super proud. And I’m super happy.”

When you see Alexandre Vauthier on the red carpet, it’s likely one of his couture creations—think Jenner’s lavender-feathered gown from the 2018 CFDA Awards, or Rihanna’s head-to-toe patent leather 2018 Grammys look. There’s always a certain amount of fantasy induced by his designs, both when it comes to the overall aesthetic and the prices. “[With] couture, there is no budget limit,” he says. “It’s more experimentation. But ready-to-wear is more for dressing all women.”

And despite his meekness about all the powerful celebrity women who have worn his work, it’s undeniable that this kind of exposure has helped the Alexandre Vauthier brand: Hadid is a regular on his runway, and a frequent wearer of his pieces—as has Hailey Baldwin, and plenty of other Instagram-popular faces. He’s not one to name his muses outright, but Vauthier has a knack for attracting the coolest models, actresses, and performers with his work. Who else can get the Kate Moss to front a campaign for a sunglasses capsule, like he did for his collaboration with Alain Mikli?

Thinking back on why he invests in couture, specifically, Vauthier says: “It’s a pleasure to find new embroideries, new textures, new ways to consider haute couture,” he says. “Not only in a classic way, but more in a contemporary way.” That manifested on his Fall 2018 couture runway, through a ballgown rendered in sequin embroidered tiger stripes—a process that took 1,850 hours to execute. As the model walked down the runway wearing it, editors and buyers were almost jostling each other to get a picture of its exaggerated train; it was exactly the kind of thing you might see Rihanna wearing at her next appearance during award season.

Vauthier doesn’t think of his careers in terms of milestones, and he can’t pinpoint one moment when he felt he’d “made it” as a celebrity couturier. “At the end of the day, I just love making women happy,” he says with a smile. Perhaps that’s the key to his success and lasting appeal for popstars, actresses, and First Ladies alike.