Alaïa at Palais Galliera, Paris

The Palais Galliera pays homage to Azzedine Alaïa with its opening exhibition in its' newly renovated galleries and in the Matisse Room at the Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris. A selection of seventy iconic models retrace an inspiring career from 28 September 2013 - 26 January 2014 at the Palais Galliera.

© Patrick Demarchelier

Alaïa, bustier dress, couture F/W 2003

Molded leather bustier with taffeta skirt

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

Alaïa's made-to-measure garments ignited a love affair with his designs amongst legendary names such as Louise de Vilmorin, Arletty and Greta Garbo. He presented his first signature collection in 1979.

© Ilvio Gallo, 1996

Alaïa, long dress, S/S 1990

Stretch rayon strips

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

© Ilvio Gallo, 1996

Alaïa, long dress, S/S 1990

Stretch rayon strips

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

His sculpture studies at art school in Tunis are reflected in the his draping of bodies with jersey and stretch fabrics.
'When I'm working on a garment, it has to flow over the body, in profile and in back view.' 

© Ilvio Gallo, 1996

Alaïa, long dress, around 1996

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

Zips make their way around the dresses, eyelets pierce the coats, stitching accentuates the curves of the suits. Alaïa fashioned a new body, like a sculptor working with muslin and leather. He counts amongst the rare couturiers to master every step in the making of a garment: drawing a pattern, transferring directly onto the cloth the forms and volumes he saw in his mind's eye, then cutting and sewing the fabric as he bends it to his will.

© Ilvio Gallo, 1996

Alaïa, short dress, F/W 1981

Black wool jersey, silvered metal zipper wrapped around the dress, boat neck and pointed sleeves

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

Inventing new shapes out of simple interplay between complex stitching, Alaïa became the creator of a timeless body of work. An insatiable lover of the opposite sex, he likes to say, 'I make clothes, women make fashion.' The models and women friends count among others Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, Linda Spierings, Linda Evangelista, Veronica Webb and Yasmin Le Bon – who are also his most faithful admirers.

© Ilvio Gallo, 1996

Alaïa, short draped dress, S/S 1991

White silk jersey

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

Alaïa is the recipient of two Fashion Oscars in Paris (1985), and the same year he was fêted at the CAPC museum of contemporary art in Bordeaux along with Dan Flavin’s sculptures. In 1988, he presented his show with Jean Paul Goude at the NYC’s Palladium. In 1996, two exhibitions were devoted to him in Florence, one at the Palazzo Corsini, followed by the Biennale della Moda with Julian Schnabel’s paintings. 1988 saw his first retrospective at the Groninger Museum in Holland, where his models rubbed shoulders with the works of Pablo Picasso,Jean-Michel Basquiat, Anselm Kiefer, Christophe von Weyhe. In 2000 at the Guggenheim Soho, his creations were presented in Andy Warhol’s retrospective.

© Peter Lindbergh pour Alaïa, 2013

Alaïa, short outfit, S/S 2010

Leather and metallic fishnet

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

At the Palais Galliera – where Warhol had his first Paris exhibition – Alaïa's remarkable dresses are on display in a scenography by designer Martin Szekely. 

© Peter Lindbergh pour Alaïa, 2013

Alaïa, dress S/S 2010

Python and black chiffon

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

© Peter Lindbergh pour Alaïa, 2013

Alaïa, Long dress, F/W 2012

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives

© Peter Lindbergh pour Alaïa, 2013

Alaïa, long dress, couture F/W 2003

Wool jersey, silvered metal zipper wrapped around the dress

Monsieur Alaïa personal archives