"I want to create a foundation, like a maison, in my home in the Marais. I am going to leave everything there. I am only passing through. I'm not a proprietor of anything, even if I have homes and things." - Azzedine Alaia.
After so many visits to Paris over the years it's always wonderful to discover something new. Such a discovery on this occasion was revealed to be the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, the former design atelier for the Tunisian born fashion designer located in the heart of Paris's Marais district. It is entered through a leafy courtyard with cafe and bookshop which opens up into a space where Alaïa not only designed, but lived in a space above his atelier. Part of the complex on the ground floor is now given over to a gallery of temporary fashion displays. The mission of the foundation is to preserve the work of the couturier Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017), and all of his personal collections (costumes and clothing from the 19th to the 21st century, photographs, as well as works of art and design). The current exhibition - Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior. Two Masters of Haute Couture, relates to another running parallel across the other side of Paris at Dior's very grand Avenue Montaigne headquarters containing examples of the 600 gowns and coats by the Dior label that Azzedine Alaïa collected obsessively which I posted about fairly recently (here). Alaïa showed great foresight, collecting fashion rarities in the late 1960s, long before even the great houses of Paris – like Dior, Givenchy and Chanel – had begun assembling their own historic collections. This exhibition features more of Alaïa's collection of Dior, but presents them alongside his own designs in a sort of design dialogue or a conversation in couture if you will. What is great about this particular exhibition in comparison to the other over at Dior headquarters is that you can get actually get closer to the the garments and scrutinise them closely without touching of course. It is was good to see the original Dior labels inside the garments confirming their provenance and originality. The paths of both designers crossed briefly for five days as Alaïa did a short internship at the house of Dior in June 1956. The idea for this exhibition began two years ago, when the Alaïa Foundation's director Olivier Saillard realised just how many pieces Alaïa had acquired by Dior and by Monsieur Dior’s successor couturiers. Dior Heritage responsible for collecting and authenticating original Dior pieces were then approached to authenticate and provide expert advice on Alaïa's collection. Dior Heritage then prepared a special inventory, using detective work to learn the correct season and collection each piece belonged to, the date the dress was made, and its exact fabrics. That forensic fashion detective work amazingly yielded walls of exactly dated sketches by Monsieur Dior and photos of him at work, alongside panels of fabric swatches, precise details about fabric manufacturers, embroiderers, and even the name of the model who first wore the look. Dior Heritage then extended an invite to create a show to present some of Alaïa’s collection and 101 pieces were chosen for the exhibition here. With both their work juxtaposed together as it is in this exhibition you can see the similarities and differences in both their styles of couture. Both are technically brilliant with fantastic tailoring skills creating highly defined sculptural silhouettes. Dior's is a slightly softer feminine vision whereas Alaïa creates sexy, slinky, body-con dresses for empowered women, so redolent of the 80s when he was at the height of his powers. It was wonderful to explore an interesting period building with original graphics on the walls in places, and then making my way up to the first floor where there was further exhibition space, and an audio visual gallery space. It was on this level that the visitor discovers a large circular opening, a window onto Alaïa's atelier workshop full of bolts of fabrics, dressmaking dummies, rails of garments and paper patterns, all the necessary paraphernalia of couture which enabled the designer and his studio assistants to make their magic once ago. Now I know where the Foundation is, (surprisingly only a street away from an establishment where I usually take lunch when in Paris), I will certainly be back to see more of the fashionable exhibits they have to offer.
Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior: Two Masters of Fashion
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