Kendall Jenner, Photo Lieba Nesis
The invitation to Alaia’s Winter Spring 2025 collection at the Guggenheim Museum, presented at 8:30 PM on Friday, September 6th, ignited a palpable sense of anticipation. Guests eagerly awaited the show, knowing that ‘Alaia’s curves echo the museum’s spiraled architecture, as the Museum embodies the connection Alaia has woven between fashion and culture since its inception.’
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear Photo Courtesy of Alaia
Belgian Creative Director of Maison Azzedine Alaia, Pieter Mulier, has headed the brand since February 2021 to mixed reviews, as many feel he needs to fill the shoes of the venerated Azzedine adequately. Mulier has already exceeded the shelf life of most creative directors, which is now about as long as a Taylor Swift romance – 2 to 3 years.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo by Lieba Nesis
After studying architecture at the Brussels Institute Saint-Luc, Mulier teamed up with the legendary Raf Simons at Jil Sander in 2006, Dior in 2012, and finally at Calvin Klein for less than two years after his debut along with Simons at a much-heralded 2017 Autumn/Winter season. Mulier showed his first collection in Paris for Spring/Summer 2022 and received mostly positive reviews without revolutionary reformations.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo Courtesy of Alaia
Filling the boots of Tunisian-born couturier and shoe designer Azzedine Alaia, who died at 82 in November 2017, is no easy task as he is considered one of the great artisans of the 20th century. He is renowned for his deft tailoring, curve-accenting seaming, leather mastery, corselets, bust wiring, and mesh ballet flats.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo Courtesy of Alaia
Who doesn’t love a perfectly fitted $8,000 Alaia dress whose hem appears suspended in air, with undulating peplums and unforgiving snugness? Alaia’s tiny five-foot-two stature belied his epic fashion presence, as muses Naomi Campbell, Tina Turner, Grace Jones, and Stephanie Seymour remained his most fervent admirers.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo Lieba Nesis
Despite partnering with the Prada group in 2000, Alaia never succumbed to the marketing-driven fashion world. He preferred to focus on discrete luxury in clothing instead of producing the “it-bag” or perfume, where the big-time money resides. Revered for his independence and spotlight-shunning persona, Alaia remains one of fashion’s heroes ensuring his coveted designs maintain top-shelf prices, as a simple white T-shirt easily retails for $1,000.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo Courtesy of Alaia
As the ‘King of Cling,’ a title he earned for his form-fitting designs, Alaia’s first runway show in 1982 at Bergdorf Goodman marked the beginning of his fashion legacy. He returned to America in 1985 and subsequently chose to remain off the fashion calendar, focusing on his craft and unique design philosophy.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo Lieba Nesis
This show was the first fashion collection presented at the Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Guggenheim Museum. Housing modern and contemporary art, the Guggenheim’s spiraled architecture echoes Alaia’s curves, making it a perfect venue for his designs. Movie and television cameras were set up at 5:30 PM as dozens of guards donning Alaia’s favorite color, black, guarded the front gates.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo by Lieba Nesis
In typical prompt Anna Wintour style, the doyenne of fashion arrived through a secret entrance at 8:10 PM as the unstoppable 74-year-old continued her unchallenged dominance over the fashion industry. And so the luminous crowd arrived as those from the old guard included: Naomi Campbell, Carine Roitfeld, Stephanie Seymour, Amber Valletta, Linda Evangelista, Liya Kebede, Suzy Menkes, Linda Fargo, Tony Shafrazi, Edward Enninful, Law Roach, Liv Tyler, Stefano Tonchi, Andrew Bolton, Jessica Wang, Inez and Vinoodh, and Proenza Schouler.
As the room heated up and the crowd grew more restless, the show was delayed. At 9:10 PM, a strange hush materialized, adding a sense of suspense and anticipation to the already charged atmosphere.
Rihanna, Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear – original photo by The New York Times
As Rihanna exited her car in a mesh crystal see-through Alaia gown that looked like she stepped out of bed with her entire duvet set on her shoulders, the crowd began to regain its composure as she took to her seat right after she greeted an unimpressed Linda Evangelista.
At 9:15 PM, it was time to get down to business. Excited attendees whipped out their phones despite being warned that doing so would result in imminent removal. As guests, including Rihanna, strained their necks to glimpse models Kendall Jenner and Vittoria Ceretti making their way down the uppermost ramp, it became clear that something special was in store.
Alaia Spring 2025 Ready-to-Wear, Photo Courtesy Alaia
While no new or original fashion milestones were crossed, the collection showcased Alaia’s unique design elements. The simple bandeaus in beige and black, the low-slung miniskirts and harem pants, the robe-like coats that effortlessly hung, and the crisp white dresses were all a testament to Alaia’s creativity and innovation.
Hooded dresses, fringe-coiled frocks, and padded chubby down coats in black and white reflecting the swirls of the Museum all added a touch of frivolity to the pared-down collection. The piece de resistance was the curved open goddess gowns constructed without noticeable straps, buttons, zippers, or hooks-a miracle of modern technology. One in white mirrored the simplicity of the Guggenheim.
After the much-awaited twelve-minute show, models painstakingly made their way up the endless rampway. A usually jaded New York crowd was electrified, hollering with approval as Mulier briefly sashayed down the runway – he had done the Guggenheim and New York justice and knew it.
Latest Comments:
Fashion changes with the times, and ways to present it must change creatively too.
Let his name live on for what HE designed so he can rest in peace.
Marilyn! What a wonderful and informative article you have written. I so loved Bendels, although (in my opinion) it was…
Merci beaucoup for the article!
Thank you for featuring me and my designs in your article! What a lovely event and how many gorgeous ensembles!
How interesting! Bendel’s was always a favorite store of mine. Miss those days…Thanks for another great article.
Such a LOSS! I feel Bendels was to NY what Venice is to Italy.
Love the stories you create around elements of design!
Let his name live on for what HE designed so he can rest in peace.