In May of 2012, the L.A. Philharmonic launched its Mozart/Da Ponte project—a three-year-long commitment to staging the pair’s trio of eighteenth-century operatic masterpieces: Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, and Cosi Fan Tutte. Last year, the institution partnered with California natives Kate and Laura Mulleavy of Rodarte and architect Frank Gehry to create the Don Giovanni costumes and set, respectively. This year, for its The Marriage of Figaro production, the L.A. Phil sourced talents from across the pond, tapping Azzedine Alaïa for costumes and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel for the set. Under the helm of conductor Gustavo Dudamel and director Christopher Alden, Alaïa (who’s also preparing for a solo exhibition of his work at Paris’ Musée Galliera this fall) has created rich wares for the opera’s female and male cast, marking the first time in our memory that he’s tried his hand at menswear. The designer stuck to his signature knit silhouettes for the onstage looks, infusing them with a hint of metallic and bead detailing to catch the spotlight. Alaïa’s original sketches for the leads—Count and Countess Almaviva, played by Christopher Maltman and Dorothea Röschmann—debut exclusively above.
