LONDON, May 2 — London's Design Museum is readying the launch of “Azzedine Alaia: The Couturier,” featuring more than 60 rare and iconic garments by the highly respected designer in a show he conceived and co-curated before his death in 2017.
Alaia worked with Mark Wilson, chief curator of the Groninger Museum, on the major exhibition, which will feature designs that run from the early 1980s through to some of his final creations.
A master couturier, Alaia was known for working on certain pieces for years on end. He designed by draping and sculpting by hand on models, carefully cutting his own patterns, all with an eye toward emphasising a woman's body.
The exhibition will feature more than 60 examples of his craft, including the zipped dress, the bandage dress, the corset belt, the stretch body and perforated leather.
The gallery will be punctuated by a series of specially commissioned architectural interventions by designers including Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic and Marc Newson, all of whom are said to have maintained a long-term creative dialogue with Alaïa.
A range of photography will likewise serve as a backdrop for the exhibition, illustrating Alaïa's life, his attention to detail, and his fashion, art, photography and design inspirations.
“Azzedine Alaia: The Couturier,” the first exhibition of Alaia in the UK, opens May 10 and runs through October 7. — AFP-Relaxnews
