"The past is clear; the future is obscure.
This quote from Azzedine Alaïa appears in a beautiful catalogue accompanying the 2015 exhibition of his dresses at the Villa Borghese in Rome. It’s a maxim that could hold true for just about anything but would have held particular resonance in the aftermath of his unexpected death last November. The Maison Alaïa studio team, ever loyal and remaining intact, continues to carry on the master designer’s vision, which includes operating by the belief that a collection should be shown only once it is ready. The looks featured here were presented to buyers as usual earlier this month, but these images have just emerged.
Photographed by Karim Sadli and styled by Joe McKenna, a longtime collaborator who released a personal and poignant short documentary on Monsieur Alaïa in 2017, the Spring offering actually comprises separate yet related collections: Éditions consists of archive pieces that have been perfectly replicated as new ready-to-wear and labeled according to their original dates. The dress covered in sinuous stripes that boasts a gathered cutout below the sternum was designed for the Summer 1990 season. A dark denim jacket that folds outward from the waist is from 1986. The gauzy silk mesh pieces date back even further to 1984. Éditions also consists of a demi-couture grouping that can be ordered from the showroom; see the full-length copper dress in ridged silk.
The main ready-to-wear collection, meanwhile, treats familiar volumes and fabrications with restraint and precision but also with freshness. Cotton shirtdresses were covered in laser perforations that have been delicately embroidered, and a white jacket in a looping openwork pattern looked even more handcrafted than lace. The looks encrusted with fringed raffia were made of woven raffia, which gives them a flattering harmony of structure and swish. And anyone who can’t imagine Alaïa without the fine-gauge knit, body-con dresses, and laser-cut leather belts, fear not, there were a few of these, too. A bustier with straps that crisscrossed the torso drew so closely from the DNA that it might as well have been vintage.
These looks and more—cropped python jackets, crisp poplin shirts, a selection of instantly desirable bags, belts, and shoes—were presented from an upstairs suite that serves as a guest apartment for the designer’s innermost circle. That the racks were surrounded by a stunning selection of iconic modern furniture (an industrial table and chairs by Jean Prouvé, the multiarmed wall lamp from Serge Mouille, seating by Pierre Paulin) further reinforced Alaïa’s mastery of a timeless aesthetic and the appeal in reissuing flawless design. For now, this strategy not only seems solid, it once again defines Maison Alaïa against industry/retailer/consumer expectations of newness each season.
There were, however, two signs that those who make the decisions are not opposed to novelty. First, a sneak peek of the chic platform espadrilles in collaboration with Castañer and a forthcoming capsule of clingy dresses, T-shirts, and accessories emblazoned with the words, “Mon cœur est à papa,” the expression of love attributed to Naomi Campbell, who, like many others, considered the designer a father figure. For a label that has never much embraced logos, it’s a rather heartfelt—and highly covetable—place to start.
