Parisian designer Azzedine Alaïa has died in Paris at the age of 77. Crowned by women around the world as King of Cling for his sculpted designs, Alaïa introduced garments such as leggings, bodysuits and body-enhancing dresses into fashion lexicon.
Alaïa opened his first atelier for private clients in his Rue de Bellechasse apartment in the late 1970s. He debuted his first ready-to-wear collection in 1980. Over the course of the next decade, his business and profile grew: he expanded his operation in Paris and opened boutiques in America. After Prada invested in the business in 2000, his accessories line boomed.
The designer first learned his craft through creating costumes for Crazy Horse dancers through which he developed a reverence for the female body. Praised for his focus on art rather than money, Alaïa turned down an offer to be creative director of Christian Dior in the 90s.
Throughout his career, Alaïa was known for following his own conventions and creating collections at his own pace, rejecting the increasing pressures of an industry that radically shifted during his lifetime. Through meticulous craftsmanship, prodigious talent and an understanding of the female form, Alaïa built a powerful body of work over the decades that is timeless and idiosyncratic.
Barneys New York recently celebrated the 35 years of Alaïa with an exclusive collection, and WindowsWear captured the beautiful windows made for the occasion.
