les nuits

Angelin Preljocaj was wary of the clichés when creating his retelling of Arabian Nights. He approached the story through his own unique perspective without ever becoming a prisoner to it. He shows us the antagonists, who certainly play on their femininity and their delicacy, but who are also capable of rebelling without hesitation. The twelve glamourous and punk Scheherazades paint a picture of womanhood that is as timeless as it is universal. Face-to-face with them, men lower their arms, reveal their fragility as well as their savagery, and unpack their impulses.

The costumes, created by fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa, emanate sensuality. He is known as the couturier who redesigned the female body in the 1980s. What has he brought you?
"Yes, Azzedine Alaïa's costumes give sensuality to the bodies. He is interesting because he manages to exalt the woman’s body and gives it extraordinary power. And, at the same time, his work has these oriental origins that we feel. He was the best artist possible for this project. He created a refined form, not at all the orientalist cliché. " Interview by Olga Bibiloni for La Provence, April 2013