Azzedine Alaïa Spring 2017. Courtesy of Azzedine Alaïa
Mere days before today’s historic launch of Vogue Arabia and a solid two weeks after the end of the Paris shows, I caught a red-eye from Dubai to Paris for Azzedine Alaïa Spring 2017’s offering. It’s well known that Alaïa shows his collections off-schedule. And while editors and buyers waited patiently to file inside the rue de Moussy doors and into Alaïa’s atelier, the atmosphere was civil, and void of the fashion circus one has grown accustomed to in this digital day and age.
Azzedine Alaïa started his show with a slick black leather midi-length dress, a ribbon of red wrapped full circle around its skirt—a nod to the more sporty looks to come. The next dress—snow white and sleeveless—was decorated with a calculated swirl of metal studs. Alaïa’s woman is on the move, and she knows exactly where she is going.
As the collection progressed, silhouettes got shorter and the circle studs bigger until we witnessed a fraction of full-on luxury athleisure pieces recalling optical illusions of the ‘60s. Tunic shirts and blousons showcased front-facing zips, and skirt sets were cut to outline the round curves of delicate hibiscus petals. Alaïa’s palette pulsed in cardinal red—sometimes cushioned with various degrees of shocking pink and lavender—and monochrome.
Towards the end of the show, structured dresses that grazed the ankle featured a flash of peek-a-boo detailing: underneath the skirt, his woman was sheathed in fabric. Here was the hint of something more, that see-it-now-it’s-gone facet our region’s women gravitate to.
This is a collection that points to the dynamic nature of the strong Alaïa woman. And the design maestro is more aligned than ever with her move ahead energy. Meanwhile Alaïa’s shoes were a menagerie of leather flat sandals with signature punch-holes. No trip ups here.
