Azzedine Alaïa

Azzedine Alaïa (French: [azedin alaja]; Arabic: عز الدين عليّة‎, romanized: ʿIzz ad-Dīn ʿAlayya, pronounced [ʕizz adˈdiːn ʕaˈlajja]; 26 February 1935 – 18 November 2017) was a Tunisian couturier and shoe designer, particularly successful beginning in the 1980s.

Azzedine Alaïa
Born(1935-02-26)26 February 1935
Tunis, Tunisia
Died18 November 2017(2017-11-18) (aged 82)
Paris, France
EducationÉcole des Beaux-Arts
Label(s)
Alaïa
AwardsBest Designer of the Year (1984)
Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur (2008)

Early life

Alaïa was born in Tunis, Tunisia, on 26 February 1935.[1] His parents were wheat farmers, but his glamorous twin sister, Hafida, inspired his love for couture.[2] A French friend of his mother, Mrs. Pineau, fed Alaïa's instinctive creativity with copies of Vogue. He lied about his age[3] to get himself into the Tunis Institute of Fine Arts, a local school of fine arts in Tunis, where he gained valuable insights into the human form and began studying sculpture.[4] He worked as a dressmaker with his sister to pay for school supplies.[5]

Career
A grey Azzedine Alaïa dress (front), from 1986 to 1987, acetate

After his graduation, Alaïa began working as a dressmaker's assistant. He soon began dressing private clients, and in 1957 he moved to Paris to work in fashion design.[6]

In Paris, he started to work at Christian Dior as a tailleur,[6] but had to leave five days later as the Algerian war broke out,[7] soon moved to work for Guy Laroche for two seasons, then for Thierry Mugler until he opened his first atelier in his little rue de Bellechasse apartment in the late 1970s.[2] He took apart old garments designed by Madeleine Vionnet and Cristóbal Balenciaga to study how they were made up, and then, he put them back together.[6] It is in this tiny atelier that for almost 20 years he privately dressed members of the world's jet set, from Marie-Hélène de Rothschild to Louise de Vilmorin (who would become a close friend) to Greta Garbo, who used to come incognito for her fittings.[8]

He produced his first ready-to-wear collection in 1980 and moved to larger premises on rue du Parc-Royal in the Marais district. Alaïa was voted Best Designer of the Year and Best Collection of the Year at the Oscars de la Mode by the French Ministry of Culture in 1984[7] in a memorable event where Jamaican singer Grace Jones carried him in her arms on stage. His career skyrocketed when two of the most powerful fashion editors of the time, Melka Tréanton of Depeche Mode and Nicole Crassat of French Elle, supported him in their editorials.[9][10][11]

In 1980, while interior designer Andrée Putman was walking down Madison Avenue with one of the first Alaïa leather coats, she was stopped by a Bergdorf Goodman buyer who asked her what she was wearing, which began a turn of events that lead to his designs being sold in New York City and in Beverly Hills.[4]

By 1988, he had opened his own boutiques in these two cities and in Paris. His seductive, clinging clothes were a massive success and he was named by the media 'The King of Cling'.[12] Devotees included both fashion-inclined celebrities and fashionistas: Grace Jones (wearing several of his creations in A View to a Kill),[13] Tina Turner,[6] Raquel Welch,[6] Madonna,[14] Janet Jackson,[15] Brigitte Nielsen,[16] Naomi Campbell,[8] Stephanie Seymour, Tatiana Sorokko, Shakira, Franca Sozzani, Isabelle Aubin, Carine Roitfeld, and Carla Sozzani.

During the mid-1990s, following the death of his sister, Alaïa virtually vanished from the fashion scene; however, he continued to cater to a private clientele and enjoyed commercial success with his ready-to-wear lines.[4] He presented his collections in his own space, in the heart of the Marais, where he brought his creative workshop, boutique and showroom together under one roof.[2]

In 1996 he participated at the Biennale della Moda in Florence, where along with paintings by longtime friend Julian Schnabel, he exhibited an outstanding dress created for the event. Schnabel-designed furniture, as well as his large-scale canvases, still decorate Alaïa's boutique in Paris.[17]

He then signed a partnership with the Prada group in 2000. Working with Prada saw him through a second impressive renaissance, and in July 2007, he successfully bought back his house and brand name from the Prada group, though his footwear and leather goods division continues to be developed and produced by the group.[2] In 2007, the Richemont group, which owns Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels, took a stake in his fashion house but he still does not show during the collections.[18]

However, Alaïa still refused the marketing-driven logic of luxury conglomerates, continuing to focus on clothes rather than "it-bags". Alaïa is revered for his independence and passion for discreet luxury. Catherine Lardeur, the former editor-in-chief of French Marie Claire in the 1980s, who also helped to launch Jean-Paul Gaultier's career, stated in an interview to Crowd Magazine that "Fashion is dead. Designers nowadays do not create anything, they only make clothes so people and the press would talk about them. The real money for designers lie within perfumes and handbags. It is all about image. Alaïa remains the king. He is smart enough to not only care about having people talk about him. He only holds fashion shows when he has something to show, on his own time frame. Even when Prada owned him he remained free and did what he wanted to do."[19]

Death

On 18 November 2017, it was announced Alaia had died in Paris. He was 82 years old.[20][21]

British Vogue editor, Edward Enninful, stated that "Azzedine Alaïa was a true visionary, and a remarkable man. He will be deeply missed by all of those who knew and loved him, as well as by the women around the world who wore his clothes."[21] He was considered a father figure to Naomi Campbell since she was 16 years old.[22]

Recognition

Alaïa was honored with a solo exhibition at the Groninger Museum in the Netherlands in 1998, which debuted at the Guggenheim Museum in New York[3] in 2000 and curated by Mark Wilson and Jim Cook. In the United States, his clothes are available at Barneys New York alongside Lanvin, Balenciaga, and Dolce & Gabbana, and his shoes are sold at Bergdorf Goodman. Carine Roitfeld was photographed during February 2007 Fashion Week in one of his coats, with The New York Times declaring that she was the only woman at any of the fall 2007 shows who "looked like the future." Victoria Beckham stated that Alaïa is her favourite designer and wore the designer's work, a gift from husband David Beckham, to two Academy Award parties in February 2007.

Alaïa was referenced in the mid-'90s teen hit Clueless starring Alicia Silverstone. Silverstone's character, mugged at gunpoint in the film, protests kneeling in a parking lot in a famously clingy dress by the "totally important designer" by exclaiming, "This is an Alaïa!"[23]

Marion Cotillard wore an Alaïa gown in a photoshoot for the French issue of Elle magazine in May 2005. In June 2009, she wore an Alaïa black dress for a photoshoot for the French magazine Madame Figaro. In March 2010, she wore a black Alaïa dress in a photoshoot for Jalouse magazine. On 27 November 2012, she wore an Alaïa black and white pleated dress while attending a luncheon for her film Rust and Bone at Brasserie Ruhlmann in New York City. Cotillard also attended a screen talk at the BFI Southbank wearing the same dress.[24]

Michelle Obama is a regular Alaïa client.[25] The First Lady wore a formal black knit sleeveless dress with a ruffled skirt designed by Alaïa to the NATO dinner with heads of state in Strasbourg, France, on 3 April 2009. Also in 2009, Michelle Obama wore an Alaïa dress to the American Ballet Theatre's opening-night Spring Gala in New York.[26] Her choice of fashion by the Tunisian couturier broke with the tradition of American First Ladies who had worn only the clothes of American designers to such events.[27]

The former First Lady of France, Carla Bruni, also wore an Alaïa jacket during the state visit to Spain in 2009.

Madonna also honored him in her 1993 "Bad Girl" video. She rips the plastic off her dry cleaned suit, the tag of which reads "Alaïa."

Azzedine Alaïa was named Chevalier de la Légion d'honneur by the French government in 2008.[28]

Lady Gaga has also worn several of his creations, notably in her Thanksgiving special, when she wore a long fall 2011 dress.[29]

Rihanna has worn his creations as well, notably at the 2013 Grammys.[30]

His creations have also been worn by Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj, Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Gwyneth Paltrow, Solange Knowles, Behati Prinsloo and more.

During an interview with The Ground Social & Magazine (formerly known as Virgine), Alaïa slammed both Anna Wintour and Karl Lagerfeld. Alaïa, then 71 and based in Paris, said of Chanel creative director Lagerfeld, "I don't like his fashion, his spirit, his attitude. It's too much caricature. Karl Lagerfeld never touched a pair of scissors in his life." Alaïa also lashed out at the Vogue editor-in-chief: "She runs the business very well, but not the fashion part. When I see how she is dressed, I don't believe in her tastes one second... Anyway, who will remember Anna Wintour in the history of fashion? No one."[31]

In 2018, Alaia was mentioned by Mariah Carey in her song "A No No" from the album Caution: "Got a pink gown custom by Alaia".[32]

On 10 May 2018, a dedicated retrospective exhibition in celebration of Alaïa took place at the Design Museum in London.[33]

The movie director Julian Schnabel dedicated his movie At Eternity's Gate to Azzedine Alaïa.[34]

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References
  1. In French : Laurence Benaïm, Azzedine Alaïa, le Prince des lignes, Éditions Grasset & Fasquelle (collection Documents Français), October 2013, Paris, 978-2-246-81055-1, p. 77 "Lui [Azzedine Alaïa], dont les intimes ignorent également la date exacte de son années de naissance. Né un 26 février, […]"
  2. Laurent Dombrowicz (November 2007). "Fashion Icons, Azzedine Alaïa and Thierry Mugler". Wound Magazine. London. 1 (1): 112. ISSN 1755-800X.
  3. "Azzedine Alaïa". Fashion Model Directory. 1999–2007. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
  4. Boyd Davis (2001). "Azzedine Alaia". Fashion Windows. Archived from the original on 2007-11-03. Retrieved 2007-11-05.
  5. Collins, Amy Fine. "The Figure-Sculpting Fashions of Azzedine Alaïa". Vanities. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  6. Kellogg, Ann (2002). In an influential fashion : an encyclopedia of nineteenth-and twentieth-century fashion designers and retailers who transformed dress. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press. p. 5. ISBN 0-313-31220-6. OCLC 47216469.
  7. Natalia A (2013-01-31). "Azzedine Alaia: 1980s and beyond". Fashioned by Love. Retrieved 2015-03-12.
  8. Blanks, Tim (February 2019). "Azzedine Alaïa: The Final Interview". British Vogue. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  9. "Elle Flashback: The Azzedine Alchemy (May 1992)". Fashion.elle.com. 2010-05-03. Archived from the original on 2011-07-24. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  10. "Little Big Man". The New York Times. 2006-02-26.
  11. "Figaro.Fr : Archive". Recherche.lefigaro.fr. 2002-05-31. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  12. Cochrane, Lauren (2017-11-20). "The king of cling: Azzedine Alaïa's best looks – in pictures". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  13. Horwell, Veronica (2017-11-20). "Azzedine Alaïa obituary". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2017-11-21.
  14. Dazed (2017-11-20). "Fashion's biggest names pay tribute to Azzedine Alaïa". Dazed. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  15. Mowbray, Nicole; Pentelow, Orla (2018-04-11). "As Azzedine Alaïa: The Couturier opens at the Design Museum, stars remember the King of Cling". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  16. "Azzedine Alaia - Designer Biography". www.fineclothing.com. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  17. "ALAÏA". Palais Galliera | Musée de la mode de la Ville de Paris. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  18. Goldstein, Lauren (2008-09-11). "Paris Fashion Week Alaia And Richemont - Fashion Inc". Portfolio.com. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  19. "Lardeur". Thecrowdmagazine.com. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-07-23.
  20. "Azzedine Alaïa: Popular Tunisian couturier dies aged 82". BBC Online. 18 November 2017. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
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  22. "Azzedine Alaïa and Naomi Campbell: Recalling One of Fashion's Most Enduring Bonds". W.
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  24. "Marion Cotillard and Azzedine Alaïa". coolspotters.com. Retrieved 2014-07-22.
  25. "Home - Mrs.O - Follow the Fashion and Style of First Lady Michelle Obama". mrs-o.com. Retrieved 2014-01-31.
  26. Amy Odell (2008-03-24). "Michelle Obama Wears Azzedine Alaïa to the Ballet in New York". New York. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
  27. Cathy Horyn (2009-04-03). "Michelle Wears Alaia to the NATO Dinner". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 6 April 2009. Retrieved 2009-04-05. (photograph by Valda Kalnina/EPA)
  28. A. Sé (2008-03-24). "Bernadette Chirac reçu la Légion d'honneur". Le Figaro. Retrieved 2009-12-24.
  29. "All the Looks: Gaga's High-Fashion Thanksgiving Special". NBC New York. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
  30. "Rihanna masters election day dressing in a meta Hillary Clinton t shirt". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
  31. Eric Waroll (May 2011). "An Interview with Azzedine Alaia". The Grond Social Magazine. New York. 1 (1): 132.
  32. Mariah Carey – A No No, retrieved 2020-07-13
  33. Alexander, Ella (2018-05-03). "6 ways Azzedine Alaïa changed the fashion landscape as we know it". Harper's BAZAAR. Retrieved 2020-08-11.
  34. Hirschberg, Lynn. "'At Eternity's Gate': Julian Schnabel Explains His Vincent Van Gogh Movie". W Magazine. Retrieved 2019-01-04.
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