Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior, two masters of haute couture

The Azzedine Alaïa Foundation is pleased to invite you to the presentation of the catalogue " Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior, two masters of haute couture".

This catalogue juxtaposes the works of Azzedine Alaïa with pieces by Christian Dior collected by the couturier, revealing a dialogue rich in echoes and contrasts.

From his teenage years in Tunisia, Alaïa discovered the world of Dior through fashion magazines — a defining revelation. Upon his arrival in Paris in 1956, his brief four-day internship at the House of Dior left an indelible mark: there, he discovered, with fascination, the rigour of the ateliers, the precision of the gestures, and the workings of a great couture house — a decisive experience he would remember for the rest of his life.

The book highlights this mirror-like relationship — like a mise en abyme — in which forms, lines and intentions echo one another across the decades, revealing a shared sensibility as well as creative tensions.

The presentation will be preceded by a conversation between Laurence Benaïm, journalist and author, Olivier Flaviano, director of the Galerie Dior, Olivier Saillard, director of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, Carla Sozzani, President of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation and moderated by philosopher Emanuele Coccia.