Alaïa F/W 2024.25 Paris

[Kennnnn]

It looks very cumbersome, and lacks any kind of sensuality.

 

[TerraVera]

...i'm so tired of designers using these iconic, storied houses as a testing ground for their elaborate ideas disconnected from or misplace in relation to the genesis of the house itself. if he's gonna do things like this, then experiment under your own name, your own label. also, it's as if he looked at tisci's givenchy and thought 'bet' - thinking he could do a better minimalist take on it, and didn't hit the mark quite dead on, like 6ft off from center. it's like all his energy went too much into one thing, leaving the design part neglected.

iono how else to say this: get over yourself. and as a designer for womenswear, these men keep forgetting who and what they are designing for - the female form. okay the whole obsession with wool is nice and all, but why is the focus on the fabric and not how the fabric enhances, caresses, and flatters a woman's body. there's something selfish and self-centered about his design approach making it hard for me to respect it. and it's not just him; there are others who struggle with their limited talent, design adept, and general philosophy when it comes to melding their vision with that of the house they are the creative director of.

plus, there's a lack of sensuality here alaïa is known for. designers like him also make me question if they even genuinely like women and women's bodies. is he here to play around with fabrics and accessories for money or here to design something beautiful for the passion of it? his design motivation is incongruent with alaïa.

 

[GivenchyAddict]

For me, this is his best collection even though I don’t like it.

I am not into his Alaïa and never will be. At least he is trying to make something…

 

[Tchi]

The models always walk weird at alaia

 

[vogue28]

Another look at the collection:

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[Delleone]

Fashion poodles?
I’m drawn to the simpler pieces, like the greige trench with the slashed circular sleeves. Very accomplished but it feels a little clinical still for Alaïa. However, I appreciate the forward-thinking approach. It’s memorable.

 

[tricotineacetat]

The looks that are trying the least to show off technical wizardry are the ones most convincing to me - To me that's the 4 looks between the snap-detailed dresses and the leopard jacquard, the double-lapelled trench coat as well as the winter white look on Maria Carla.

I find it an improvement and as a sign of him moving in the right direction with Alaia - It was clear to me filling this psotion was going to be a difficult one when we take into account 'the old guard' of designers seem to no longer be taken into consideration for positions like these and all we are left with are the usual suspects coming from the studios of Ghesquiere, Philo and Simons, where Mulier hails from.

This is perhaps not giving 'supermodel sensuality' the way Azzedine's work is remembered by, but I can see him warming up and providing sophisticated and timeless clothes for the woman who would otherwise have only The Row and Max Mara to turn towards.

 

[JohannesL]

Despite his experimental effort, those silhouettes he built on his own clinical minimalism just doesn't work for this brand whose master's philosophy is always about catering to the female form and designing around the female body.

 

[JohannesL]

but I can see him warming up and providing sophisticated and timeless clothes for the woman who would otherwise have only The Row and Max Mara to turn towards.

Yes, somewhat it reminds me of Philo's work at Celine!

 

[vogue28]

Never met an Alaïa collection crafted by Pieter Mulier that I didn't like - and this is no exception. Not a single piece I'm able to sit here and critique, every last look is just sublime and exquisitely executed. Mulier's collections are always so beautifully presented too. It feels like a fresh take on Alaïa's legacy, and I'm able to appreciate that. A massive fan of ALL of this!

 

[GoldenPetals]

It's really quite good in my opinion. Yes, it's not a direct successor to Alaia but I'm not sure it has to be.

 

[RaisinBoy]

I like the sexyness of it..

 

[THD96]

It's suddenly better than this last collection, but frankly I'm already moved on from his Alaïa

Another weird, cold and sterile experiment from Pieter that I'll never get. What's is his intention with for brand? For the enormous legacy of Azzedine?
For a brand that built from embrace the the female body, Pieter work always look like he trying detach from it for the sake of his aesthetic.
Again there is no sensuality in his work despite all the technical skills of the ateliers.

I mean…His interpretation of the zipper dress…Is it supposed to be worn by a woman in the real world or is it just a pure experimentation once again.

The look on Mona and the white version after that, look like a whole boob slip accident waiting to happen, I just can't. Azzedine would never.

 

[Kanzai]

These look more "Quiet Luxury" than his Ex's Bottega

 

[ICONICA26]

GORGEOUS! LOVE LOVE LOVE !!

I am shocked by some of the negative feelings on this show and Pieter. His collections/shows have been some of the best I've seen in a while.

 

[LadyJunon]

I feel like Mulier at Alaïa has been one the best appointments we've had in a while. While he started a bit rocky, his last three collections (FW23, SS24 and this one) felt very confident and fluent in their vision. It's more cerebral than Azzedine's supermodel-sexy, but that's not necessarily a bad thing in today's social media climate.

Apparently, everything in this collection was made using merino wool as a nod to the "quiet luxury" trend. It may also be a nod to Blazy's work at Bottega Veneta. I also liked the way he created curves on the clothing using volume instead of cling.

Mulier's shows always have a good casting of models who can walk confidently. It harkens back to that glamazon era, but without the nostalgia-baiting. Keeping Naomi Campbell in her seat was very appreciated.

I really liked the intimate staging of the show too. They held this show at their Marignan flagship, the same location as their SS23 show. Due to the small capacity, they had to hold three consecutive shows of 60-70 guests. It reminded me of the salon shows from the 50s and 60s.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Definitely his best and uncluttered offering by far. There will always be a sense of heaviness, a cumbersome sensibility from him, since he won’t ever strip off that conceptual, intellectual nonsense that some fashion designers insist on bearing like some trophy albatross around their necks. He seems so resistant to simply let go of the need to showcase his (supposed) intellect, and just design for the Alaia women. But when compared to his debut offering, or the collection with teh silly latex trenchcoats, this feels and looks so much more unburdened, sleek and more effortless. If he keeps tot his trajectory— like he should have had with the collection that was shown at his penthouse, his Alaia will evolve and evoke a new spirit that’s worthy of Azzedine. (…Just watch his next offering will be another go at intellectual-nonsense LOL)

…Are the women instructed to walk like Yasmeen Ghauri??? Cuz they can’t.

Keeping Naomi Campbell in her seat was very appreciated.

LMFAO

 

[Snejana Onopka]

i wish i could fully enjoy pieter's work for alaïa bc he seems like a genuinely nice person, also you can tell he loves fashion and being a designer, his curiosity when it comes to fabrics, construction and fashion history sets him apart from frauds like LdSS and j*cquemus.

BUT after watching his show and daniel's schiaparelli i believe i can pinpoint what prevents me from enjoying both designers: pieter, much like daniel, despite the efforts and passion is unable to connect with the ethos of the brand he's working for. The coldness and clinical aspect of his work dont bother me that much what truly puts me off is the lack of movement, everything is so 2d and apparently made to look good in jpg form OR in a hanger.

the white dress inspired by the zíper dress looked GORGEOUS on the hanger but when i watched the video and saw the dress reacting to the body underneath it looked so odd, to me it goes against everything alaïa the brand represented. despite having his work compared to sculptures azzedine's clothes never felt static bc imo he understood his medium (fabrics) and support (the female body), azzedine never treated fashion as something fixed he knew his clothes needed a moving body to come alive and exercise its full potential.

pieter's collections at times feel way too rigid and static, its almost as if his clothes are working against the body theyre dressing and preventing the wearer to move freely or feel good. to me all of this became clear when i saw the photos, the clothes look appealing when theyre motionless, but that's completely against azzedine's ethos isnt it?

daniel's schiaparelli is pretty much the same, he offers static designs that refuse to stablish dialogues with elsa's ideas of the """grotesque""", degradation, normality, and the surreal recognizing the cycles of life, like pieter he is unable to add movement to his work which is bizarre to me bc imo schiaparelli and alaïa are houses that NEED action and movement

his efforts are commendable, i hope richmond affords him the time to fully develop his vision at alaïa, he is clearly dedicated to his work and nowadays this is something we should applaud bc it's getting rarer and rarer lol