Alaïa shop and headquarter at rue de la Verrerie in Paris
Azzedine Alaia, fashion designer, born 1940 – in Tunis, Tunisia. Studied sculpture in Ecole des Beaux-Arts, Tunis. Was working as dressmaker’s assistant, dressed private clients. 1957 - moved to Paris, lived in a tiny apartment and paying his rent and bills by babysitting. 1957-65 - part-time design assistant – was working with Christian Dior (for 5 days), Guy Laroche (for 2 seasons), Thierry Mugler (until the late 70s), dress-maker for private clients. From 1960 – began designing private works. 1980 - introduced ready-to-wear line in Paris. 1982 - show in New York City. 1985 - Best Designer of the year, named by the French Ministry of Culture. Opened boutique in Beverly Hills (1983), Paris (1985), New York (1988).
He says ‘The clothes I make must respect the body.’
Real Alaia success begun in the 1980s, fashion press called him the King of Cling that time. His designs displayed the female body - the bodysuit, the stretch mini, Lycra cycling shorts… Stars as Tina Turner, Raquel Welch, Madonna, Brigitte Nielsen, Naomi Campbell and Stephanie Seymour were wearing Alaia’s clothes.
Alaia introduced his first ready-to-wear collection of minimalist clothes in 1980 and continued to work privately for individual customers until the mid-1980s. His collections contained such a material as riveted leather, industrial zippers and fabrics - lace, polymers, silk jersey and tweed.
Sometime in the mid-1990s, Alaia vanished from the fashion scene, although in an August 2000 interview in Harper's Bazaar, Alaia insists he “never went anywhereâ€. In 2000, he burst back into the limelight with a new collection.
Alaia is a perfectionist about cut, drape, and construction. His clothes are complex in structure - some garments contain up to 40 individual pieces linked together. His technique of sculpting and draping perhaps comes naturally to him, since he studied sculpture at L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Tunis, but also owes much to Madeleine Vionnet, the great designer of the 1920s.
Alaia shows regularly but nevertheless seems above the whims and vagaries of the fashion world, producing timeless garments, rather than designing new looks from season to season. Alaia will not conduct any business through this friend space, please do not forward any photography or styling requests here.
Shop: 18 rue de la Verrerie, 75004 Paris, France
