Azzedine Alaia - The All-Things Azzedine Alaia Thread

[mikeijames]

while his disconnect from the modern world does allow him to continue to make some of the most fanciful dresses in existence, it certainly does not do him any favors when he tries to comment on it. little does he realize that far more people will remember anna wintour in the context of late twentieth century/early twenty first century fashion than will ever remember azzedine alaia.

 

[Harumi]

little does he realize that far more people will remember anna wintour in the context of late twentieth century/early twenty first century fashion than will ever remember azzedine alaia.

I love Azzedine but this is so true.

 

[Spainaobsessed]

freaking genius!

 

[Dkammern]

Poor guy... is this what being offered a job at Dior does to you?

Spot on mikeijames about Anna being remembered by more people than Alaia. Isn't it twisted that this is due, partly, because of Anna?

The comments on the way she dresses, or how karl has never touched a pair of scissors just sound childish... he should have added a very mature and thoughtful "they are ugly and wear shades, and did I say women love meeeeee very much?!" at the end of the interview.

Plus, isn't the caricature thing what karl always says about himself?
And, everyone has always said that Anna is a great business woman, so what's the news here?

And last... Funny how he says older designers do drugs and drink beause of the stressful working conditions and yet Karl, eldest and most active of all needn't do any of that

 

[Littleathquakes]

it's true, Anna will still be more famous than he'll probably ever be. but nonetheless, it's always wonderful to see someone slam her from time to time, especially a seasoned designer. I remember in an interview when she was asked about YSL, and she mentioned that he banned her from his shows for a few seasons, it was like wow someone actually stood up to her.

 

[SylviaMR]

He makes wonders, some of his clothes are just so well-cut it enhances everything about a woman without being overpowering, but I must admit that he doesn't get enough credit for his work. He's quite confidential (as in not as mainstream as Dior, Chanel, ...) but I like the fact that he's aware that being too famous will lead to too much pressure.
However, the comments about Karl are true, it's just a totally different business, he's as we say in French a "touche-à-tout" who built an empire thanks to his name and Chanel. But the comments about Anna Wintour are quite mean and way too personnal. As other people said, I really think that she will be remembered, she has a huge influence and I don't think it is only about marketing, or else she wouldn't be so powerful, recognized and feared. However, I think it is sad that his work isn't really recognized, because you don't see it much in influential magazines such as Elle or Vogue, whereas it is just as good (and better sometimes) that collections like Prada or Versace. But he sounds quite bitter..

 

[Boomer]

^ What you say about Karl may all be true, but let's not forget we are talking about the Karl of today running a huge empire; he spent well over twenty years doing grunge work and anonymous designing for many different people, getting no credit what so ever; Karl paid his dues perhaps more than anyone in the business right now....

 

[dreamss]

A designer that doesn't touch scissors? Oh karl . Azzedine, is totally right. For someone who is this "unstoppale force in fashion" it says a lot that she can't even put together a descent article of clothing for herself.
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[rip_ian curtis]

He was offered the Dior-job already back in the day when they hired Galliano in 1996. So was Gaultier, but they both turned it down even then. Sad, Alaia could make dior chic and interesting again, but I totally understand why he doesn't want to work for them, or any other label, for that matter.

 

[Squizree]

^ Actually I think Gaultier offered to take the Dior position twice, and they declined both times.

 

[Harumi]

^ What you say about Karl may all be true, but let's not forget we are talking about the Karl of today running a huge empire; he spent well over twenty years doing grunge work and anonymous designing for many different people, getting no credit what so ever; Karl paid his dues perhaps more than anyone in the business right now....

Thank you, very true.

And I don't see the big deal about Karl not touching scissors; that's what seamstresses are for.
Karl's job is to design, which he does brilliantly. He sketches and directs his team of seamstresses with an iron hand and no piece of clothing makes it to the Chanel or Fendi runway without having been approved and perfected by him.
Do we trash architects because they don't lay the bricks of their own buildings?

The more I re-read that interview, the more Azzedine comes off sounding like a petulant, bitter and classless child.
Also, he would be a terrible choice for Dior since, while he is very talented, his 'range' is very limited. Just look at his collections for the past 5 years. He keeps doing different versions of the same dresses.

 

[Boomer]

^ How true! Coco Chanel was strictly hands on and actually wore a pair of scissors on a ribbon around her neck, but she couldn't sketch at all! Karl is very well positioned for what he does best because he has several people he works who have been with him forever and can immediately translate his drawings into actual clothes, something I doubt many designers have and part of the reason his volume of output is so great...Alaia really did sound rather petulant and maybe a bit envious in the interview, but then again he does pretty much nothing in the way of promotion or to expand his market...If he is happy with the way things are, that is fine, but I don't think it speaks well of him that he rips others who are better known and do their work in a different way...

 

[dreamss]

A true designer should be able to use those scissors with his eyes closed. Designers and scissors go hand-in-hand
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[eugenius]

Bitter, party of 1..Bitter, party of 1.

 

[ilaughead]

A true designer should be able to use those scissors with his eyes closed. Designers and scissors go hand-in-hand
Posted via Mobile Device

Really? The conceptual part of the design process is far more important for a designer than the actual physical cutting of fabric, IMHO at least.

 

[brooksie]

Bless his heart! Azzedeine sounds a touch aggrieved. I guess he's still smarting about that MET thing a few years back when he pulled the plug on his girls wearing his designs to the shindig. IIRC it was because he didn't feel his designs were given a big enough spotlight. IOW he WAS honored, but not to HIS satisfaction.

I dig him and all, but there's a reason that his collection coverage has pretty much shrunk down to Cathy Horyn on OTR. His basic style hasn't changed in decades and he doesn't spend ad $$$$, so how many glossies would give much coverage to him under these circumstances? Not many. Until the early-mid 90s, he got far more coverage in glossies than might be believed nowadays, but that was back when the "bod-con" era was reigning supreme. He's the last one standing from that group and he's right in that (some) women really do love him. The fact that they do inspire of a lack of mainstream coverage says much about how great his designs and cult are. B)

Alaia is one of the best living dressmakers, IMHO ...but unfortunately renown suffers quite a bit because his clothes are thought too hard to wear by many (most?) women (this is quite untrue IMHO) and they are too hard to come by if your aren't super rich or a celeb. Even much of his body of work is a mystery to many people too young to recall his more overground era. He has created this position for himself by choosing to step away from showing in conventional ways and avoiding advertising, so I can't see why he's beefing at AW or Uncle Karl. I thought this rather rarefied exclusivity was what he wanted?! Color me baffled at this outburst.

 

[Dkammern]

Thank you, very true.

And I don't see the big deal about Karl not touching scissors; that's what seamstresses are for.
Karl's job is to design, which he does brilliantly. He sketches and directs his team of seamstresses with an iron hand and no piece of clothing makes it to the Chanel or Fendi runway without having been approved and perfected by him.
Do we trash architects because they don't lay the bricks of their own buildings?

The more I re-read that interview, the more Azzedine comes off sounding like a petulant, bitter and classless child.
Also, he would be a terrible choice for Dior since, while he is very talented, his 'range' is very limited. Just look at his collections for the past 5 years. He keeps doing different versions of the same dresses.

Amen to all of it. I quite like the architects parallelism!

A true designer should be able to use those scissors with his eyes closed. Designers and scissors go hand-in-hand
Posted via Mobile Device

True designers of yore also started as atelier assistants that rarely touched anything in their first years but toile and mock ups. That's the story of Ungaro, and Saint Laurent, and Hubert de Givenchy, and yes, also Karl's story and probably Alaia's.
It's funny how people talk about Karl as if he was some rockstar turned designer of these days, but as people has said here, he has worked quite relentlessly to get where he is.
Still today the biggest challenge in his job is to solve technical aspects of the construction of the clothes that the young (and not so young) seamstresses can't solve.

 

[Boomer]

Really? The conceptual part of the design process is far more important for a designer than the actual physical cutting of fabric, IMHO at least.

Right, and so much of being a successful designer today is being able to crank out a huge body of work on a frequent basis- four, six, eight collections a year and often heaven knows what else in the way of shoes and accessories... A designer today who stopped to cut and drape all day could never produce like that and would do little to contribute to a modern fashion house...I'm sure there are plenty of wonderful designers on the side streets who still do wonderful, high quality, hand made clothes, but that is like comparing General Motors to Rolls Royce- they operate in different realities...

 

[SylviaMR]

^ What you say about Karl may all be true, but let's not forget we are talking about the Karl of today running a huge empire; he spent well over twenty years doing grunge work and anonymous designing for many different people, getting no credit what so ever; Karl paid his dues perhaps more than anyone in the business right now....

Yes, I was actually talking about the Karl of today? I re-read what Alaia said and I must admit I didn't see the "never touched a pair of scissors"-part, which I think must be wrong, but it wouldn't make him less legitimate. as you said, they are people who do that and his job is to guide them and design clothes. Karl Lagerfeld is probably one of the hardest worker in the industry, he seems to be restless having worked for Jean Patou, Chloé, Fendi, Chanel etc.. And he keeps on renewing Chanel and himself

However, back to the subject of Alaia, I must admit that he tends to do the same thing over and over but that is his trademark, you have your own pieces that are just PERFECT, and you work on them. Like the Chanel's tweed jacket, or the Hervé Léger's bandage dress.

 

[ultramarine]

A true designer should be able to use those scissors with his eyes closed. Designers and scissors go hand-in-hand
Posted via Mobile Device

Miuccia Prada called, and she proved you wrong!

And about the whole incident, ermm, I think he's getting older, thats all Im gonna say.