"My obsession is to make women beautiful. When you create with that in mind, things can't go out of fashion." Azzedine Alaïa
House of Alaïa
“The king of cling” – Azzedine Alaïa was a Tunisian couturier and one of the most influential designers of our time. With a background as a tailor for Christian Dior and Thierry Mugler, among others, he made a big name for himself in the 80s and became world-renowned for his feminine, sculptural, and tailored creations. Hailed by the entire fashion industry, loved by women worldwide, and worn by Grace Jones, Michelle Obama, Beyoncé, Victoria Beckham, Carine Roitfeld, Franca Sozzani, and, not least, supermodel Naomi Campbell, who considered Azzedine Alaïa a father figure.
From childhood, Azzedine Alaïa loved glamour and everything beautiful in this world, and it is said that he lied about his age to be able to start his education at The Tunis Institute of Fine Art. After moving to Paris and starting to work as a tailor, he also self-taught himself by deconstructing creations from Cristóbal Balenciaga to understand their composition and then sewing them back together. In addition to being respected and admired for his good taste and understanding of composition and design, he has also been praised for his integrity. Former editor of Marie Claire, Catherine Lardeur, wrote, among other things, that "Alaïa remains the king," referring to how she believed that many designers only created clothes to be talked about, not because they actually had a passion for creating. On several occasions, he chose to show his collections outside the traditional Fashion Week schedule, often in more "modest" settings where the collection could speak for itself. His creations were often very form-fitting and designed to accentuate the female figure, and the palette was neutral. Today, Belgian designer Pieter Mulier carries on Alaïia's legacy.
