Azzedine Alaïa S/S 2016 Paris

[Marc10]

mffashion

 

[Marc10]

By Vanessa Friedman

On Sunday, four days after the final shows on the official Paris Fashion Week schedule, and four days after most of the fashion flock had left the French capital, dispersed to homes and desks around the world, one more show took place.

Azzedine Alaïa, ignorer of all calendars other than his own, hosted a series of small gatherings in his atelier to unveil his spring collection. Rather than an afterthought, however, to those in the room — not me; I had seen a dress rehearsal at 11 the night before I left Paris — it probably seemed a bit like a portent.

Because while Mr. Alaïa’s work in the 1980s — tight, bandaged, body-celebratory — proved something of an “inspiration” to designers such as Olivier Rousteing at Balmain and Peter Dundas at Roberto Cavalli this season (indeed, when it came to the latter, so much of an inspiration that it made Instagram), the man himself has moved on pretty dramatically.

“Move” being the operative word.

Dresses — seamed to trace the body but not to trap it — came with backs transformed into capes that flew away from the shoulder blades and shadowed the curve of exposed spine; thin-knit tunics were trimmed in raffia-like lacy fringing; jackets were cropped in at the waist and bloused out at the back like truncated sack dresses; and a crisp white sleeveless shirt was cut with precision lines to tent out from collarbone to hip over a plissé long skirt. Also a shirtdress, full of swing.

And then there were the pants.

Lots of pants. Pants cut wide with a perfect crease down the front. Pants worn with big ruffled blouses. Pants in a geometric print with matching bombers. Pants with a cropped gold top, like a cooler tux. More pants than Mr. Alaïa has done in a decade plus. And, to go with them, sneakers.

All the better to stride forward, you know. Whatever the schedule.

nytimes

 

[Marc10]

 

[IloveDiorHomme]

irrelevant commercial fashion.

 

[eugenius]

Irrelevant? Yeah, tell that to the legions of ladies who've been actively buying, and wearing, his fashions since before we were even born. Dior Homme, he is not.

Commercial? Is that necessarily a bad thing in Alaia's case? There's nothing anywhere that says that fashion from the luxury-goods section has to be a forever-changing exercise in new shapes, styles, silhouettes, patterns, textiles, etc, etc, and so on, and so forth.

If it's not broke, don't fix it.

 

[Marc10]

Yeah, this faaaar more "relevant" than most of the stuff we've seen this season. Unlike a lot of older designers, Alaïa doesn't try to be hip and trendy, which most of times comes out as try-hard and desperate. He remains peaceful within his established style and aesthetic, which is quite timeless imo. I can see women from every age rate loving this, there's something for everyone.

Really wish we could get more pics, the Greek-inspired dresses, the ruffled white top and that fringed black dress are all gorgeous!

 

[Lola701]

LOL at the "irrelevant" comment on an Alaia collection. I mean, Alaia's clothes are selling more than any JW Anderson, Mary Katranzou or Christopher Kane. He is actually one of the few designers who got a RTW business stronger than his accessories.

Funny to call irrelevant a designer's designer worn by like all the most important female figures (except Anna W) of the entire industry. Even funnier to call irrelevant clothes that are copied everywhere. McQueen stores are filled with Alaia's inspired clothes.

Sure, Azzedine Alaia doesn't add anything to the current fashion conversation (even if by the fact that he is an outsider he open the discussion on the rythm of fashion and the art of craft) but he doesn't have to prove himself.

I really don't know why people feel like designers who has been influencial in the past should have the same influence today. He survived the 80's-early 90's with Gaultier, Versace & the Japanese. This is already an achievement. Not everybody can be like Karl and survive 6 decades.

Back to the collection: those are the best pants i've seen from him in recent years. The rest is typical Alaia.
I love the sculptural white shirt.
The sneakers are really nice. Alaia and sneakers are not words that i would normally put together but as his clothes has lost their shock/scandalous factor , it kinda make sense.

 

[arlekindearrabal]

I would like to see more.

Alexander Fury's tumblr

 

[softgrey]

yeah- i wanna see all the pants!!!
i am imagining stretchy, hi-waisted pants that will, at once, be comfy and elegant...
and... give you better control than spanx...!!!
dreamy!

 

[Littleathquakes]

I see some nice pieces and some really questionable ones.

 

[lelaid]

I like that he's going out of his comfort zone a bit, some pieces (i.e. the gowns and fringed dresses) are amazing, as usual.

 

[Marc10]

vogue

 

[Marc10]

vogue

 

[jescajade]

Irrelevant?
Alaïa is one of the most copied designers of our generation, this season even Valentino got some of their 'inspiration' from his last seasons collection. Surprised to see the sneakers, there are some beautiful pieces in here, even if it's not a groundbreaking collection Alaïa's customers know what's good.

 

[zacatecas570]

This is great! There's nothing irrelevant and commercial about this...
Alaïa always making simple yet amazing clothes, just looking at the details you can tell this is way more good that the other collections.

 

[TREVOFASHIONISTO]

really loving those cropped collared shirts. As well as the the striped skirts

 

[IloveDiorHomme]

Irrelevant? Yeah, tell that to the legions of ladies who've been actively buying, and wearing, his fashions since before we were even born. Dior Homme, he is not.

Commercial? Is that necessarily a bad thing in Alaia's case? There's nothing anywhere that says that fashion from the luxury-goods section has to be a forever-changing exercise in new shapes, styles, silhouettes, patterns, textiles, etc, etc, and so on, and so forth.

If it's not broke, don't fix it.

Funny on how people always pick on my login name here haha. HELLO I registered on this website when Hedi Slimane was the thing almost a decade ago.

Anyway, back yo our beloved Azzedine, I'm sucker of his work, I mean his good work. When Azzedine was proposing unique textiles, uber luxurious garments, weird shaped dress that made the women that wore them looking like vixens. I spent hours visiting his retrospective two years ago in Paris at Palais Galliera. So yes, Monsieur Alaia is indeed a genius who can craft amazing creations.

But that's the past. I sometimes visit his shops and can only notice that he is surviving on his knits that ravish the Kardashians and other celebrities. I miss his audacity and thirst for new textile technics.

Have I the right ? Or I should I be just "satisfied" by this collection and claim it's worth what he has done in the past ? This collection is not ugly. Not at at all, it has just no taste.

garancedore

I mean if you prefer those leggigns, flat shoes and tshirts to this dress, good for you. I'm a bit more picky concerning fashion...

 

[Lola701]

^^
Yes but this dress is from one of his recent couture collection. He is not presenting couture. This is RTW and Alaia's RTW has always been about laser cut leathers, leggings and skin tight dresses.

I'm not a fan of his recent Couture collections because they don't have that sexiness that i've always loved in his work. I loved his 2007-2009 period and his last great Couture collection was his spring 2003 but for RTW, this is great.

Sure, you can expect more from him but his RTW collections has always been the same for at least 5 years. It's impossible to tell the difference from collection to collection...

 

[IloveDiorHomme]

Maybe "irrelevant" is not the good word then indeed. This collection feels modern, wearable, which are notions that are important to me. Nevertheless, you can be commercial and still develop interesting shapes, textiles, point of view on colors, accessories, styling... which is everything this show is lacking to me. Let's hope he will feel more inspired for his next season.

And once again, this is my point of view, I don't order anyone to agree with me. Would I come for anyone praising this collection and telling he or she is a fool ? No because this would be disrespectful...

 

[Lola701]

I totally respect your point of view and i totally get it now. I was more reacting with your previous comment in mind, the relevance part

Let's hope he will feel more inspired for his next season.

I hope too but I'm afraid it will be the same thing again...