Yesterday in Paris at the maison‘s headquarters, Alaïa debuted its Summer/Fall 2022 collection on a minimalistic set designed by Bureau Betak. To a soundtrack by the composer Gustave Rudman Rambali, created simultaneously during fittings of the collection, the house ushered in a new line focused on silhouettes.
Courtesy of Alaïa.
The late Azzedine Alaïa once addressed clothing as craft, ensuring each fold, drape, and cut of fabric spoke to the body and its audience in a unique way. So, for house’s creative director Pieter Mulier‘s second collection, Summer/Fall 2022, he did the same, harking back to the founder’s representation of the body and its demand for unforgettable silhouettes.
Courtesy of Alaïa.
Tailoring was celebrated to give women confidence, with sharp lines, bold shoulders, and new proportions inspired by Alaïa’s oversized coat for Greta Garbo. Other pieces embraced mermaid and fishtail draping, including gowns, shirtdresses, and denim flare jeans.
Courtesy of Alaïa.
Other barely-there garments embraced the gaze of its onlookers, including form-fitting fishnet bodysuits and tight lace and jacquard gowns adorned with feather trim. The collection also seemed to embrace today’s health-meets-high-fashion dilemma—wearing a mask to protect yourself from COVID-19, while still trying to stay stylish.
Courtesy of Alaïa.
Several garments—including the tops of dresses and the lips of tops—curved upward, not to be mistaken for a turtleneck. This exaggerated lip of fabric, pulled up to the bridge of the nose, offers our contemporary society a fresh take on wearing just a KN95 mask to ward off the Coronavirus.
Courtesy of Alaïa.
Special for the collection, as well, was a partnership with the Picasso administration. In the collection, we saw ceramic works by Pablo Picasso transformed into custom-woven embroidered and knit dresses, bearing the unmissable artistic language of the global artist. For these wearable works, Mulier desired to pay homage to the unique friendship Mr. Alaïa once had with Claude Picasso, offering a new idea of the importance of craft in fashion.
