Alaïa S/S 2026 Paris

[LadyJunon]

Show video:

 

[style_expert]

They do, I bought an Alaia dress last year which was basically old Azzedine silhouette. But its almost totally detached from what Pieter does…With lurex and the whole thing, even the cut is classic Azzedine.
I wonder if its not a separate edit of « essentials » in a way.

But I don’t think the people who discovered Alaia with Pieter are noticing the difference or particularly looking for that. Maybe longtime Azzedine clients or fan of the brand (like me).

So true. I think a huge part of the people buying the ballet flats or the Teckel bag have very little sense of who Azzedine was or what he stood for.

And with each Pieter show — and simply with the passing of time — his unique point of view will fade further into the background, even more than it already has.

It’s sad, but I suppose the only alternative would have been to close the house entirely, or to endlessly reissue Azzedine’s original, fabulous designs without the intervention of another designer.

Still, the Richemont gamble with Pieter seems to have paid off — so well, in fact, that he’s probably already on his way out for something “bigger.” Personally, I would have thought it would be hard to top the Alaïa job, but I guess he’s chasing more money and mass cultural prestige with Versace.

 

[rivegaucheface]

He really does like to restrain the body with his designs. At a house like Alaia, it makes it seem like he really doesn't like women.

The amount of physical restraints he offers seasons after seasons is definitely misogynistic, and those 3 looks are the worst.
Also all the closing looks with the arms inside the jersey bodice and stuck to the models body are from the same vein. I can't like this collection, which otherwise offers very pretty skirts.

I like some pieces. It’s probably the collection from him that has the most pieces that I like ever…
But it’s so strange. Maybe I need an internship with him. He is talking about sex, women… then he shows those onesies… I’m confused.

Judging by the clothes he makes, sex must not be a pleasing experience for him I guess.

I know it's like beating a dead horse to bring them up but I'm so grateful that my formative years were spent exploring Azzedine Alaïa, Alber Elbaz at Lanvin, and Alexander McQueen. The first men I learned about in fashion demonstrably adored women. They wanted to be a part of our world rather than the other way around. I can't think of a designer off the top of my head whom I would believe looks up to women. Someone who admires women just as we are, separate from their own interaction and benefit from us. That's why his comments about sex fall flat to me. What sex? What love? What attraction, what adoration? The models are literally strapped into their clothes down to their fingers and their shoes. That's not sexy or free or intellectual or anything that either Alaïa or PM are purported to be to me.

What is the goal he wants to achieve at Maison Alaïa? Because season after season he just sent out the most questionable silhouettes and expected the crowd to eat it up.
It looks like he is on a mission to be the antithesis of everything Azzedine stands for. He clearly doesn't care about the way Azzedine talks, creates or cares about the female forms.

I really want to like him, I like a lot of his pieces but I don't understand a lot of moves he makes. Between the armpit pants and the dune worm top last season, and the bandeau top and cut-open pants he's been on for a while now, it feels like he's making pieces to just be seen, rather than waiting until he has something worth showing. Last season and this season both had great slinky skirts that are worth bringing into a wardrobe but they're lost in the gimmicks. Even the show video is too edgy and intellectual (can they just show the outfits so that we can see? please!).

I can appreciate someone who rewrites and introduces house codes but at what point does it become the Ship of Theseus?