At Alaïa, Pieter Mulier's debut proved that he was the perfect man for a conversation with Alaïa - man, master, maison - and remained dedicated to femininity, which Azzedine Alaïa cherished and championed above all else. A celebration of the innate and eternal values of Alaïa, of the power of the hand, and instinctive creation.
The presentation took place out in the open on the Rue de Moussy, the home of the Maison since 1987, where Azzedian Alaïa lived and worked. The streets of the Marais framed the clothes within the reality of now, alongside the memory of his life. The focus, as always was on clothes that naturally highlight the female body, through fabrics that, in their comfort and architecture, become a second skin. A sensuality and sexuality evoked through material, silhouette and craft. An emphasis on the unparalleled skill of the ateliers, on creation as a creative act to be brought to life by the wearer. A remembrance of the hand of Alaïa, a theme the brand played out on social, sharing the hands of their creative team.
True to the codes of Alaïa, Mulier keyed embellishment into the fabrics of the clothes and accessories themselves, employing metal bobbles in the place of grommets, cutouts and diamond latticework in looser shapes than the previously precise laser cut patterns. Complex yet simple, hooded silhouettes and drapery evocative of Alaïa’s Mediterranean roots and his unparalleled knowledge of French couture played throughout.
The soundtrack for the show is a collaboration, between Nicolas Godin (Air) and Alaïa, using the percussive bells embroidered onto couture gowns within the show. The music gave another dimension to the passage of the models down the runway, a rhythm that existed in step with their bodies in motion as they brought bright, gemtone blue and red, fantastic fishtail silhouettes and hooded ensembles to the world, all on toes of perfectly pointed slides and timely mules.
In the shows nores, a letter from Mulier to Azzedine:
“Dear Azzedine,
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This collection is intended as a tribute to thank you… Four years after your final presentation… I feel honored to be presenting this collection. I tried to be faithful to your creative approach. I even tried to get into your mind… but that’s impossible. I have so many questions. So many things I imagine. You. Passionate, stubborn, charming. You who designed beauty more than fashion, as you liked to say… You were a sculptor, a genius of the hand. Your fashion had a heart and a rare intelligence — a combination of precision, modernity and poetry. Thank you for your humor, your smile has never left this place. Thank you for your visions that have crossed the years and help me today to celebrate the free beauty of women. Thank you for everything we share: the taste for art, music, the pleasure of fine food – these absolutes that help us invent a new way to do fashion… I wish to live up to your standards. I will take care of your house and your family with a tremendous sense of admiration and responsibility. It’s a dream come true to build the future of this legendary house.
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Thank you with all my heart,
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Love,
Pieter”
