Fashion 88 : ‘Breathtaking’ Is Word for His Work : Paris Designer Azzedine Alaia Emphasizes Fit
Azzedine Alaia, being who he is (the unpredictable, avant-garde French designer credited with giving women back their curves), it wasn’t certain he would attend the Los Angeles party in his honor.
He didn’t. But he sent a tiny portion of his spring-summer collection to speak for him.
Breathtaking is the word for the clothes, because of their sexy cut and cling, their fine workmanship and the danger that if you breathe deeply you might stretch the design beyond its limits.
Just One Design
The 530 guests who crammed into Twenty/20 (formerly the Playboy Club in the ABC Entertainment Center, Century City) thought they would see all of Alaia’s goodies for summer. But he had other ideas. For the collection’s first American presentation, he sent variations of just one rayon/Lycra design and kept the bulk of his new styles in Paris.
The dress started out as a tight little bare-arm, bare-chest, bare-leg number with a pleated flounce. It grew longer, shorter, tighter during the course of the show. It also went from white to black to blue to a shade of green the designer calls eucalyptus. And it had a number of low necklines, each one in need of a charming bosom.
With the pleats gone, the dress became wickedly hourglass. When it reached almost floor length, it turned so narrow that walking became a fine art. Once it lost its skirt altogether and became a bodysuit.
And just once, there was an entirely new silhouette: a super-short, swingy dress in lightweight wool with a few variations of its own: closed back, open back, covered shoulders, bare shoulders, leather belt, suede belt.
No matter the length, the fabric or the extra touches, the designer’s credo remained intact. In the wake of the show, Charles Gallay, owner of the Alaia boutique on Rodeo Drive, discussed Alaia’s principles with zeal:
“He loves beautiful women. He’s crazy about beautiful women and he designs only for them. Basically he stands for fitted clothes.” And simplicity, which means no jewelry: “He never accessorizes with anything but belts, gloves and shoes. For this collection, for the first time, he has made a wonderful leather clutch that has appliqued daisies.”
‘Makes Every Pattern’
Gallay applauds the behavior that some find objectionable (Alaia often shows in Paris after everyone, including the foreign press, has gone home): “In reality, he is the last of the master craftsmen. That’s one reason he shows late. He makes every single pattern for every dress himself.”
According to Gallay, Alaia “has influenced every designer. He doesn’t do it with fancy, spectacular clothes but with the most simple designs.”
Prices for the summer collection range from $450 to $650.
