Azzedine Alaïa "Je suis couturier"

Dresses are the absolute creations that the couturier Alaïa never ceased to perfect throughout his career, and are the expression and avowal of his desire for eternity. Since his first collection in 1979, with deep shades of black and optical whites, the couturier had created garments withstanding fashion’s limitations. Pure black became the carving block for this true sculptor. Black, because it gives shape to an idea without diluting it, as may do other colors. Chalk and plaster whites reminded Alaïa of his years of schooling at the Beaux-Arts in Tunis. Whether modest cotton or aristocratic chiffon, he knew how to master fabric and mold the bas-relief of the divine dresses known today.

Azzedine Alaïa chose to lead his profession in the great traditions of 20th century architect designers that mastered every step of the process from the conception of the garment, to the sewing pattern, and assembly. From Madeleine Vionnet to Cristobal Balenciaga, or Charles James, he is the ultimate heir.

The quest for the invisible guides one’s greatest works. Azzedine Alaïa continues his pursuit for continuous fashion even if he remains the virtuoso that never showed it. May this exhibition, the first of a long series organized by the Alaïa Association, reveal the ambition of the one, who throughout his whole life, was always proud to say about himself "I am a couturier".

Olivier Saillard