Azzedine Alaia

Alaïa FW22
Pieter Mulier unveiled his second collection for the storied house of Azzedine Alaïa off-schedule on Sunday, earning a standing ovation for his work. With the aim of keeping the signature house codes intact while adding a bit of himself to the collection, Mulier’s designs struck a balance between appealing to both, the younger and highbrow generations.

First seen in the creative director’s debut, mermaid and peplum hemlines were further exaggerated while the bell-bottoms were derived from the late Tunisian couturier’s Spanish skirts from 1982 and 1988. The collection was also big on tailoring which was important to Mulier, as seen in the slightly oversized coats and tuxedos in stark contrast to the figure-hugging catsuits and bodycon dresses that are making a comeback. The knitted dresses with face coverings were special in that they were a result of the fashion house’s collaboration with the Picasso Foundation and Mulier’s way of paying tribute to Alaïa who was close to the Spanish artist’s family. Each one mirrored the bottle-like ceramics Picasso created in the 1940s, in embroidery that took over the entire dress.
Bold, art-like, and pragmatic, the collection lends a hand to Mulier’s woman, which is one who dares to accept it. “You can put a skirt on it and style it down,” shared Mulier with Vogue. “We showed it on these beautiful women… they can. And if you want, you can.” Take a look at the best pieces from the Alaïa Fall 2022 collection below.
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Alaïa FW22
Read Next: 12 of Azzedine Alaïa’s Best Red Carpet Fashion Moments

There’s no denying, Kim Kardashian, Vogue Arabia’s September 2019 cover star, has an impactful influence on fashion. While today her choices are often sleek and inspiring, her journey to obtaining the polished, Instagram-worthy look has been a little rocky along the way.
When Kardashian first made a name for herself – as Paris Hilton’s stylist and friend – her style featured figure-hugging bodycon dresses, in the noughties IT bags and oversized gold hoops were her go-to accessories of choice. Over a decade later, and beauty mogul has transitioned into a sartorial trailblazer with a fearless approach to fashion. Her daring style is emulated around the world. Whether she’s wearing an emerging streetwear label or a vintage designer relic, the KKW effect has the power to create a new craze, or controversy – either way, she gets people talking.
“I think that Kim Kardashian’s style evolution is definitely something worth mentioning,” says Egyptian celebrity fashion stylist, Yasmine Eissa, “Kim is a perfect reference for how fashion can be a great marketing and PR tool. She started off by wearing high-end party dresses, which were all wearable and could be sourced. She later transformed her style into a bold, unique look. We now see her in second-skin silhouettes, mesh and plastic fabrics, exotic leathers and a lot of pastel and nude colors. She opts for cutouts, transparent pieces, the latest catwalk looks and custom made outfits. Her style is definitely controversial, but it makes her the woman everyone wants to copy.”
In the early years of Keeping Up With The Kardashians, the former reality TV star made laid-back red-carpet appearances in jeans and knee-high boots. This was followed by a series of wrap dresses and platform wedges – before she advanced to designer outfits from the likes of Givenchy, Azzedine Alaïa and Balmain. Kardashian was then spotted on front rows at fashion week and formed close friendships with some of the industry’s most noteworthy names; including Olivier Rousteing, Riccardo Tisci, and Valentino Garavani.
As Kardashian’s style has evolved, we’ve learned to appreciate her elevated take on athleisure, her monochromatic dressing in earthy tones and her interesting play on proportions – often styling an exaggerated fur coat with a waist-pinching bodysuit. In recent years, she has taken inspiration from her former designer-husband Kanye West and adopted a low-key, street-inspired aesthetic, yet she has always maintained a penchant for skintight silhouettes that have become her signature style throughout the years.
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Azzedine Alaïa. Photo: Gilles Bensimon
Late Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa‘s Parisian home has become the subject of a new documentary, “Azzedine Alaïa, 18 rue de la Verrerie Paris.” Directed by Nathalie Plicot and narrated by French actor Isabelle Huppert, the 27-minute film gives a rare glimpse into Alaïa’s 4,000-square-meter home.
The documentary is part of a long-running series titled Une Maison, Un Artiste (A House, An Artist), which is currently airing on television channel France 5 until October 31. It explores not just his residence, but also the industrial buildings which Alaïa purchased in 1987 and turned into interconnected spaces in the Marais neighborhood. “The changing room is near the store, not far from the kitchen, which is under the studio, itself under the apartment,” fashion historian and Azzedine Alaïa Foundation director Olivier Saillard says on camera. “His body of work exudes all of this. It embodied by this coherence he gave.” Fondation Azzedine Alaïa president Carla Sozzani says, “If you wanted to find [him], there were two places: his studio and the kitchen.”
Azzedine Alaïa with Carla Sozzani. Photo: Getty
Expect to see the places where Alaïa lived and worked, such as his atelier which has been left untouched since his passing in 2017, the basement that houses his archives, as well as the now-iconic kitchen where he was known to host renowned names and muses like Jean-Michel Basquiat, Farida Khelfa, and Naomi Campbell.
Azzedine Alaïa with Naomi Campbell. Photo: Getty
The couturier’s life is also retraced through his quotes read by Huppert, interviews and photos of his team members and close friends including painter Christoph Von Weyhe, studio director Caroline Fabre Bazin, fitting model Ana Carolina Reis, and personal chef Ibrahim Soumaré.
While the documentary first aired on August 22, and then on August 28 on France 5, it will remain available on the public television’s digital platform France.tv. until October 21.
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Imaan Hammam. Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa
“It’s for my generation to explain to the younger generation what Alaïa is, and bring back sensuality, tailoring, and the ease it had in the ’80s,” Pieter Mulier told British Vogue of his fabulously democratic opening gambit at the storied house. Here, five things to know about Alaïa’s new look.
Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa
Pieter Mulier wants to democratise Alaïa
It wasn’t the pandemic that made Pieter Mulier move his first Alaïa show outside, into the street by the maison’s Le Marais ateliers, at 9 o’clock in the evening. “I would like to make it democratic again,” the Belgian designer said after the show. “In the ’80s, a lot of women bought Alaïa, especially in America. And then it became a little bit more gallery, more museum, more distant. That’s why we did the show in the street: to literally bring it to the street so you can see these pure lines, which are, in the end, simple sweaters and leggings that everybody wears.” Between Mulier’s tight, lustrous red or white evening dresses, plumed fishtail skirts that moved like waterfalls, and fringed monochromatic bandeaus, “simple” may not be the word that came to mind. But, as Mulier said, ease was always the magic ingredient to Azzedine Alaïa’s inimitable sense of sensuality.
Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa
The show was a new exercise in the grammar of Alaïa
Making women feel good is a feat often attributed to the Tunisian designer, who died in 2017. Alaïa did so, not through the sweats and sneakers that somehow define comfort today, but by constructing elegance through ease. In that ethos, Mulier detected an immediate contemporary relevance. “I wanted the first collection to be a white platform of the codes that are important for Alaïa, to explain it to the new generation, who doesn’t know it, unfortunately. It’s for my generation to explain to the younger generation what it is, and bring back sensuality, tailoring, and the ease it had in the ’80s.” While many young people will recognize the signatures of Azzedine Alaïa’s work – the hooded silhouette, the bandelette dress, the sculpted knitted skirt, the laser cut belts and boots – few perhaps see how to translate that into a real-life wardrobe. And so, Mulier set out to do just that.
Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa
Mulier almost left fashion
The designer was in talks with Alaïa’s parent company, Richemont, for nearly a year before taking the job. “I thought I wouldn’t do fashion anymore. After New York, I thought it was finished for me. I didn’t want to do it anymore: sneakers, sportswear, all of it,” he said, referring to his former job at Calvin Klein with Raf Simons, who attended his Alaïa debut. Mulier, who studied architecture, started interning for Simons’s eponymous label in 2002, and expanded his career working for him at Jil Sander and Christian Dior. When their New York adventure came to an end, he took a long break. “I talked to a few houses, but it was never on a human scale. I wanted something small.” Mulier found his answer in Alaïa, a house that always did things on its own terms, outside of fashion schedules, trends, and scrutiny. Now, Mulier’s challenge is to retain those values but create a connection to the elusive young generations.
Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa
The collection fused functionality and sexuality
Mulier’s proposition for the post-pandemic youth seemed tailored to that ambiguous sweet spot many are dealing with at a moment in time when dressing up feels foreign and fantastic all at once. You could find proposals for that sensibility in Mulier’s hybridized stocking-leggings – casual but very much not – or in the knitted dresses that twisted around the body as an alternative to the primness of a waisted dress. Sure, there was plenty of evening pizzazz, but at its core, his Alaïa collection was about reintroducing the founder’s codes to an everyday wardrobe. Take, for instance, those gladiator sandals feathered from a single piece of suede, his knitted mesh dresses, or the oversized shiny raincoats with lace trims; all embodied by functionality disguised in a big fashion statement.
Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa
Alaïa won’t turn into an influencer brand
In so many ways, Mulier’s Alaïa debut seemed made for a fashion show culture ingrained in social media, where the Amazon cast, high-octane sexuality, and pronounced glamour he put on his narrow outdoor runway (a photo op in itself) are sure to go viral. But Mulier said he isn’t going to pander to that market. “I don’t care about social media. I am on it, but I don’t think this is a house for social media. We talk about sexuality and how sex works on social media, so I hope it does something new for social media, but it’s not made for social media. It’s made for real life.” Don’t expect to see the usual celebrity suspects of that arena in Alaïa looks any time soon, either. “I said no to everybody so far. It’s such a small brand. It’s like an artwork. And I want to take care of it. The moment you throw it on It-girls or big influencer girls, it makes no sense any more, for me,” Mulier said. “We’ll build a family slowly, but I’m in no rush.”
Read Next: Your Coffee Table Requires This Beautiful Alaïa & Peter Lindbergh Book
Originally published on Vogue.co.uk

Naomi Campbell, Paris, 1992. Photo: Peter Lindbergh Foundation Paris
Peter Lindbergh and Azzedine Alaïa shared many things: a love of black, a commitment to simplicity of form, and a sensibility defined by a deep appreciation for female beauty. “We met in 1979, I believe. Ever since, Azzedine and I are hand in glove,” Lindbergh once said. Alaïa was equally respectful, saying of their long friendship and fruitful working relationship: “We don’t even need to talk. Everything flows.”
Peter Lindbergh Foundation Paris / Taschen
On May 14, Taschen released a landmark book that explores the photographer and couturier’s frequent collaborations, bringing to life an expansive visual dialogue that fused dramatic design with starkly cinematic photography. Lindbergh is best known for his stripped-back photos of fresh-faced models; Alaïa for his form-fitting garments that made women feel powerful. 
Azzedine Alaia and Vanessa Duve, Paris 1989. Photo: Peter Lindbergh Foundation Paris
Telling the story of their work together, Azzedine Alaïa, Peter Lindbergh is introduced by contributions from Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris director Fabrice Hergott, fashion historian and Fondation Azzedine Alaïa curator Olivier Saillard and photographer Paolo Roversi. The 240-page book, featuring a bevy of supermodels including Naomi Campbell, Yasmin Le Bon, Nadja Auermann and Linda Evangelista, is published to coincide with the Azzedine Alaïa, Peter Lindbergh exhibition at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa, 18 Rue de la Verrerie, Paris, France. 
Azzedine Alaia and Tina Turner, Paris, 1988. Photo: Peter Lindbergh Foundation Paris
The tale of two icons 
Lindbergh and Alaïa came from very different origins and disciplines. Born in 1944, Lindbergh, who grew up in Germany, trained in the Krefeld School of Applied Arts and developed a photographic practice drawing on sources ranging from Otto Dix’s unrelenting paintings to the glimpses of Paris captured by Hungarian photographers Brassaï and André Kertész. Alaïa was born in Tunisia in 1935 and studied sculpture at the Institut Supérieur des Beaux Arts in Tunis before moving to Paris, where he worked for Guy Laroche and Thierry Mugler, and set up his own highly successful couture label. 
Both were creatives attentive to structure, sensuality and monochromatic palettes. As Saillard writes, Alaïa was “an architect of bodies… [who] brought out women’s figures, forming a silhouette that he draped, moulded or revealed with a cutting technique that he alone mastered.” 
Marie-Sophie Wilson, Paris, 1988. Photo: Peter Lindbergh Foundation Paris
And Lindbergh “ennobled his subjects by lighting up their souls and personalities with the precision of the contours that he cut like a tailor.” Each helped to shape the visual culture of the 1980s and then “in unison, were the great, passionate artisans of those unadorned faces that marked the 1990s and consecrated the age of the supermodels.” 
Their joint contribution is illustrated beautifully in this book. The focus is purely on garment and character, all the photos shot in black and white. Women linger in abandoned buildings, drape themselves across tiled floors, pose in spotlights, and pause mid-conversation, cigarette in hand. Anna Cleveland loiters on a dimly lit street in a caped coat. Naomi Campbell stands with one hand on her hip, the other raised, her figure sinuous in a tight bodysuit and her stance one of absolute power. 
Tatjana Patitz, Le Touquet, 1986. Photo: Peter Lindbergh Foundation Paris
There is a dynamism and quietly executed drama to these pictures: all of them deeply textured, defined by line, and driven by a synthesis between skin, fabric and light. They feature faces that are not only unadorned but unforgettable, and showcase clothes at their most transformative. “I have always wanted women to feel free,” Alaïa said. Within these pages freedom features strongly, present in both motion and stillness, embodied in a quest for authenticity of design and image-making that enabled an extraordinary creative kinship.
Tatjana Patitz, Le Touquet, 1986. Photo: Peter Lindbergh Foundation Paris
Azzedine Alaïa, Peter Lindbergh (Taschen) is out now.
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Originally published on Vogue.co.uk

Pieter Mulier. Photo: Pierre Debusschere

The name Pieter Mulier will be familiar to true fashion obsessives. The Belgian designer has had a hand in some of the most influential collections of the past 20 years, having started his career as an intern at Raf Simons’s eponymous brand in the early aughts and risen to become Simons’s righthand at Jil Sander and Christian Dior. When Simons was appointed the chief creative officer of Calvin Klein in 2016, Mulier was installed as his number two, with the title of creative director of womenswear.
But for many outside the industry, Mulier’s name and work might be less known. Maybe that makes him a perfect fit for Alaïa, founded by the Tunisian designer Azzedine Alaïa in Paris in 1980. The maison has long done things its own way, shying away from the fashion calendar and only showing a collection when it was deemed ready by Alaïa himself. Fans of the 2014 documentary Dior and I, which chronicled the making Simons’s first Dior Haute Couture collection, will find in Mulier a similar attention to detail and care.
Here, a breakdown of everything you need to know about Alaïa’s new creative director.
Mulier Isn’t Formally Trained in Fashion Design
Born in Belgium, Mulier studied at the Institut Saint-Luc in Brussels, a university that has produced an astounding amount of comic book artists and illustrators. Mulier, instead, studied architecture. His mentor Raf Simons studied industrial design at Genk’s LUCA School of Arts.
Raf Simons and Pieter Mulier take a bow after the Calvin Klein fall 2017 runway show in New York. Photo: Getty Images

Mulier Is Really, Truly Simons’s Right Hand
Thanks to Instagram, we know that Mulier started interning at Raf Simons amid the making of the brand’s fall 2002 Virginia Creeper collection. Since then, Mulier has been a constant presence by Simons’s side. He became the brand’s head designer by 2003, overseeing its menswear collections until 2010. From 2006 to 2009, he consulted at Jil Sander, where Simons was creative director, joining Jil Sander full-time in 2010. When Simons left Jil Sander in 2012, Mulier went with him; they took up residence at Christian Dior less than a year later.
“It evolved from being colleagues to a friendship now. I always think it’s like a ping-pong game,” Mulier told Another magazine in 2015 of his relationship with Simons. “He taught me a lot about art—you know his references are a lot of art and architecture—and luckily this is also my background, so this helps, and I think it works in both ways.”
But Mulier Did Not Join Prada With Raf Simons
When the pair’s stint at Calvin Klein ended in 2018, they returned to Antwerp. But while Simons worked on his eponymous label, Mulier seemed to be recalibrating. When the former was named Miuccia Prada’s co-collaborator at Prada in February 2020, the latter was not part of the deal, to the surprise of industry insiders. Many assumed a plum job was on the horizon, though it was Mulier’s partner, Matthieu Blazy, who made headlines with his appointment as the womenswear creative director at Bottega Veneta. Maybe we didn’t have our ears close enough to the ground: After nearly two years at home in Antwerp, Mulier is assuming one of the most coveted jobs in Paris, stepping into the shoes of a true master.
Read Next: Supermodel Cindy Bruna Remembers Her Most Cherished Memories with Azzedine Alaïa
Originally published on Vogue.com

Cindy Bruna wears Azzedine Alaïa. Photo: Instagram/ @maisonalaia

Since his passing in 2017, Tunisian couturier Azzedine Alaïa has been immortalized through his iconic brand and genius designs. Over the last three years, some of the biggest names in fashion have paid tribute to the creative maestro. One of the latest stars to honor the great designer is French-Italian supermodel, Cindy Bruna, who recently celebrated Maison Alaïa’s new Editions collection by starring in a video, sharing her fondest memories of working with the King of Cling.
The three-minute video, developed by global e-tailer Net-a-Porter and titled “First Time…with Alaïa”, saw Vogue Arabia December cover star Bruna feature alongside British model Yasmin LeBon and Chinese actor Zhu Zhu, as the trio discussed their experiences working with Alaïa.
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“This first piece I ever got from Alaïa was a T-shirt, that he gave me when I was 17,” says Bruna. “Obviously, I still have that piece. I just love it. It was really special because it was a gift from him,” she adds.
One of the 26-year-old model’s first jobs was with Alaïa. The Tunisian couturier took Bruna under his wing as she first stepped into the modeling world. When asked about her favorite memory of working with Alaïa, Bruna noted an encounter in his kitchen as one of the best moments she shared with the designer. “It was his jokes and the realness of the moment that we were all sharing together. Spending a week with him and his team and all the models, it was really, really precious,” she said.
“I can really say that he was the one who made me believe in myself, even when I was actually doubted in the model industry,” she added. “That gave me the strength to finish school, move to Paris, and start my career.”
The late Azzedine Alaïa and Carla Sozzani. Photo: Sylvie Delpech

Alaïa passed away on November 18, 2017, but has left behind an everlasting legacy, with his creations still adored across the world by celebrities including Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Kate Moss, and his long-time friend Naomi Campbell. Continuing the designer’s work, Masion Alaïa recently released its Editions SS21 wardrobe, recreated from the archives between 1981-2017, through a visual dance masterpiece.
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A still from the artistic dance of Alaïa’s Editions SS21 wardrobe performed by Hajiba Fahmy. Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa

The house of fashion maestro Azzedine Alaïa has just revealed its SS21 Editions series of cult pieces, in honor of the late Tunisian designer. Embracing nostalgia, the collection has been recreated from the archives between 1981-2017, and was presented through an artistic dance performance.
Maison Alaïa‘s latest wardrobe was introduced by Godmother of the Editions: supermodel Naomi Campbell who was joined by fellow model Karlie Kloss on the brand’s Instagram page, as they discussed the timeless silhouettes that have been reimagined for the new collection. The artistic performance was then shared across the Maison’s Instagram and YouTube platforms.

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A visual masterpiece, the dance presentation of the collection, which is the first ever in Alaïa’s history, was performed by French-Moroccan talent Hajiba Fahmy. Described by the Maison as a “force of nature”, Fahmy is a creative star in her own right. For the past five years she has been working with Béyonce, joining the singer on her world tours, including her famous Coachella performance. The dancer and choreographer wore an elegant Alaïa creation as she performed the dance.
Screening in Dubai of Alaïa’s Editions SS21 wardrobe including a special display of three Editions looks. Photo: Courtesy of Alaïa

Live streamed from the cultural arts center La Gaité Lyrique in Paris, the powerful performance highlighted women at the heart of the iconic label, and literally shone a spotlight on the intricate details and exquisite craftsmanship of the SS21 Editions wardrobe.
Alaia corset handbag

The performance was screened at the Nasab Rooftop in Dubai to a host of special guests, including UAE-based influencer Rania Fawaz, Egyptian actor Salma Abu Deif and Lebanese-Iranian fashion journalist Diala Makki. As part of the event, a special display of three Editions looks were showcased on mannequins. Guests were also given an exclusive first look at the new Corset handbags, which are inspired by the iconic Alaïa belt silhouette.
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Over the last decade, French-Italian beauty Cindy Bruna has become one of the most recognizable models in the industry, and has been ranked as a Money Girl on models.com, alongside the likes of Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner – meaning she has high fashion staying power. Bruna has walked the runway for some of the biggest […]
The post Vogue Arabia Cover Star: 10 of Cindy Bruna’s Greatest Runway Moments appeared first on Vogue Arabia.

Image courtesy of Hyku D Photography

“I’m sorry, I get emotional about it, I do, but you have been really supportive of diversity since you started. I noticed that,” said Naomi Campbell speaking to Vogue Arabia editor-in-chief Manuel Arnaut. The supermodel opened up to Arnaut while on stage at the launch of Vogue Loves Fashion Avenue event in 2018, celebrating The Dubai Mall’s 10-year anniversary.
The former Vogue Arabia cover star hinted that her talk would be authentic and straightforward, a mirror of herself. However, when the subject of Azzedine Alaïa was broached, Campbell revealed a vulnerable side, and the grief of a daughter mourning the loss of her father. “Yes, this is my papa that died one year ago on Sunday and this is the man that raised me when I was 15 years old and up until last year…” the supermodel said, looking up at a picture of the late Tunisian couturier. Voice breaking, she continued, “I have so much respect for him. For me, he was the most unique designer in the world. He was very non-judgemental. He was a perfectionist and he did his own shows on his own time.”

Discovered at 14 years old while at theater school, Campbell is one of the most powerful voices in fashion. Her charity work is unparalleled in the industry. During her talk with Arnaut she discussed her initiative Fashion for Relief, her work with Save the Children, which involved visiting refugee camps in Jordan, and her 25-plus years at amFAR, along with funding various orphanages through Africa.
See the full live stream below.

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