This week in fashion, I am writing about the prolific extraordinaire designer Azzedine Alaia. A little history of Azzedine is that he was born in 1985 and hailed from North Africa, Tunis, Tunisia.
His love of fashion and the arts came from his glamorous sister Hafida.
He studied at the Tunis Institute of Fine Arts, where he studied Sculpture and Design. He began his fashion designing career by working as a seamstress to pay for his school supplies. At the beginning of his career, Azzedine worked as a dressmaker assistance. He then moved to Paris in 1957 and worked for designers Christian Dior, Guy Laroche, and Thierry Mugler before going out on his own. He worked privately for 20 years as a designer in his tiny atelier and designed for the likes of socialite Marie-Hélène de Rothschild and movie star great Greta Garbo before producing his first ready-wear collection in 1980.
From here, he became such a cult sensation when his designs were worn by the likes of fashion icon Grace Jones, Naomi Campbell, Tina Turner, Madonna, and Janet Jackson, to name a few. “He was soon dubbed the ‘King of Cling’ by the media (April 25. 2019).” He had such a following that he did not require his designs featured in American Vogue Magazine.
Even his spat with Fashion Editor at Large Anna Wintour would not add his fashion to her editorials. He was as popular as before, if not even more famous. Also, he had his fashion shows scheduled outside of the fashion week lineup every season since the ’90s. Furthermore, he did not have a fashion show from 2003 until 2011. No other fashion designer was able to go by his own rules like Alaia.
His designs are synonymous with beauty, art, elegance, creativity, sex appeal, sophistication, decadence, all rolled in one. To wear an Alaia is an understated honor. His clothes for decades have amplified what it means to be female and powerful at the same type. His timeless cuts and designs have graced the body of every female form. Each with their uniqueness to bring out the best of his creation.
Azzedine Alaia is a designer to know and have in your fashion collection and closet. His pieces are museum-worthy, and you can purchase his clothing line and accessories at major high-end stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue.
You can also purchase online at Net-A-Porter, maison-alaia.com, FWRD, and Likely.ny. If you are interested in grabbing some vintage pieces, the best places to shop would be vintage emporium boutique Decades in Los Angeles and New York, online eBay, and Etsy. The online consignment shops such as The Real Real, Linda Stuff, Poshmark, and Vestiaire Collective.
Azzedine Alaia fashion has stood the test of time and is worth the investment. This designer will bring elegance to anyone’s wardrobe, and these pieces will last a lifetime.
Wear to buy:
Stores:
www.saksfifthave.com
Online Shops:
Consignment/Vintage:
“Azzedine Alaïa Is Part of the BOF 500.” The Business of Fashion, April 25, 2019. https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/azzedine-alaia.
Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, November 12). Azzedine Alaïa. Wikipedia. Retrieved December 1, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azzedine_Ala%C3%AFa.