Designer Azzedine Alaya

Azzedine Alaia, French designer of Tunisian origin, was born on June 7, 1939, in Tunisia.

Azzedin Alaya was born into a family of farmers. His grandfather worked for the police, and Alaya often came to him to help sort the photographs for the gate bureau. He liked looking at the beautiful faces of the girls in the photo, and he was also interested in art, cinema and fashion.

At the same time, his twin sister was learning cutting and sewing from local nuns, and brother and sister shared their acquired knowledge. Every month from France, their parents received Vogue Paris for them. A close friend of the Alaya family, Madame Pinault, knowing the boy's hobbies, picked Azzedine books about exhibitions, artists, etc.

It was she who recommended it in the 50s. in the School of Fine Arts (? cole des Beaux-Arts) and enrolled him in the department of sculpture. After graduation, Alaya decided to start working in a small atelier as a tailor's assistant.

Once he was noticed by girls of noble birth, acquaintance with whom later helped Azzedine go to Paris in 1957. Here he entered the School of Fine Arts, majoring in sculpture. He soon got a job with Diora, but he did not manage to get to know the great couturier.

He worked there for a very short time, only a few days, since in view of the developed military conflict between France and Algeria, the citizens of Tunisia, as a country bordering Algeria, were demanded to leave the country as soon as possible. Alaya was forced to leave the Fashion House, but he did not leave Paris, but switched to making private orders for sewing women's clothing.

Just a year later, Azzedine Alaya got a job as an assistant designer at the Guy Laroche Fashion House, where he worked for two years. Then he started creating collections for Thierry Mugler. Alaya approached his work creatively, and according to his personal admission, he "helped the Fashion House, but never worked for it."

In 1960, the Countess Nicole de Blégier became his client, for whom he sewed outfits for five years. Thanks to her, the whole high society of Paris learned about him. And in the 1970s. Nicole de Blégier helped Azzedine rent an atelier on Rue De Bellechasse in Paris. Among his clients were actresses - Claudette Colbert and Greta Garbo.

In 1979, Azzedine Alaya designed a womenswear collection for Charles Jourdan, which was bought entirely by Barney’s department store.

In 1980, Azzedine Alaya entered an era of admiration and recognition, in which he himself became a symbol. In the same year, he registered the Azzedine Alaia brand, presented the first women's pr? T -? - porter collection, and his outfits appeared in famous department stores.

Models from the show of Azzedine Alaya 1986.

In the mid-1980s, Azzedine Alaya created the famous fuchsia floor-length bodycon dress with a cape for Grace Jones, in which she was simply stunning. Such iconic figures of the time as Tina Turner, Grace Jones, Jesse Norman, Bridget Nielsen, Madonna, Janet Jackson wore his luxurious outfits.

He created outfits that favorably emphasize the female figure: dresses with corsets, perforations or translucent inserts, bodysuits, fitted jackets, pencil skirts, tight-fitting dresses on the floor, etc. Working with fabrics reminded him of the work of a sculptor, as he had once Madame Gray, whose work he not only admired, but also bought her works made from 1934 to 1942. for the fashion museum in Marseille.

As a print, Alaya often used a magical animal print, which in tight-fitting dresses even more emphasized the beauty and grace of the female body. His favorite materials were leather and elastic fabrics that fit the body like a second skin. Azzedine began to be called the king of stretch.

In the work of Azzedin Alaya was independent, he did not participate in shows regularly, that is, twice a year, believing that "decent creative work takes time."

In 1984, Azzedine Alaya received awards from the Oscars de la Mode in the categories "Best Designer of the Year" and "Best Collection of the Year". The awards were presented by the Minister of Culture of France.

Azzedine Alaia has taken part in shows Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Linda Evangelista, Iman, Stephanie Seymour, Naomi Campbell and others. In 1986, Azzedine prepared a collection of leather and latex dresses with tattoo prints.

In 1988, Alaya opened boutiques in New York and Paris.

In 1989, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the French Revolution, Azzedine Alaya created a blue-white-red dress, in the palette of the national flag of France. And on July 14, Jesse Norman performed in it at the Place de la Concorde.

Since 1992, when his sister died, the designer stopped participating in shows and began to make outfits only for regular customers.

Azzedine Alaia published the book "Alaia", containing photographs of the best dresses of Azzedine Alaia, took part in the Biennale della Moda in Florence in 1996, in 2000 presented his works at the Guggenheim Museum in New York, in 2013 he created stage costumes for the opera " The Marriage of Figaro ".

In the same 2013, the designer signed a licensing agreement with the Shiseido division of Beaute Prestige International to release perfumes under the Azzedine Alaia brand.

Naomi Campbell and Azzedine Alaya dress

In 1998, Azzedin Alaya was awarded a personal exhibition at the Groningen Museum in Holland.

In 2008 he was awarded the title of Chevalier of the Order of the Legion of Honor of France.

Azzedine Alaya performs with shows at a time when he considers his work finished, that is, regardless of international fashion weeks. But if his collection is ready for Fashion Week, then he presents his work at Paris Fashion Week and Haute Couture Fashion Week.

In the world of the fashion industry, Azzedine was named "fashion sculptor and king of stretch".

“Azzedin gives your body the perfect shape. It creates the best silhouette imaginable. He's like a sculptor! "

Azzedin was the first to treat leather like a regular cloth.