Alaïa

Alaïa, who arrived in Paris in the mid 1950s after having studied at the School of Fine Arts in Tunis, very quickly became a noble craftsman himself, pushing Parisian elegance to perfection. His apprenticeship period was intimately linked to the clients he enthralled through his bespoke garments crafted in the great tradition of high fashion. In the 60s and 70s, he imagined items for the wardrobes of well-known figures such as Louise de Vilmorin, Arletty and Greta Garbo. The creative system he imposed, by freeing himself from diktats and rules, confirmed his visionary talent. He would gain great media recognition in the 1980s. His work would become the talk of the town over the decade. Like a real plastic surgeon whose scissors were only ever used on muslin or leather, Alaïa shaped a new silhouette. By inventing new morphologies to suit garments through the simple play on complex seams, Alaïa became the couturier of work that has transcended time. His influence on contemporary fashion and on every generation of fashion designers and couturiers is immense.