A Star is Gone ... Azzedine Alaïa (1940 - 2017)

It has been a few hours since the death of fashion designer and couturier Azzedine Alaïa was announced to the world. In cyberspace, where words travel faster than lights, his loss is profoundly felt. The "Twitterverse", for instance, is pouring with written tributes for him. Ditto on the Instagram and Facebook.

To the young generation who think they know fashion but they don’t, Monsieur Alaïa’s name may not click in their brains. Not if they have perused the old issues of Vogue or Harper’s Bazaar circa 1980s and 1990s from their mothers’ stash, religiously. 

Yet, to our contemporaries, especially fashionistas who lived through the high octane glamour of the 1980s, Azzedine Alaïa is the name or brand one would wished to be dressed in. There was neither a fashion spread nor features that never mention his name in fashion publications across the globe. It can be said that whenever he presents his collections, editors would have nothing but deafening applause, followed by lines of splendid lauds in their columns. In a way, he is a true star and legend of the fashion world.

Born in the city of Tunis in Tunisia, the fashion designer received his education in fashion design at the École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts) in the city before moving to Paris in 1957. Although his parents were wheat farmers, it was his glamorous twin sister and a French friend of his mother that inspired Alaïa’s vocation in fashion. 

Like many designers of his time, Alaïa started his career as a dressmaker’s assistant. In Paris, right after the move, he had a stint with maison Christian Dior as a tailleur but he left five days later as the Algerian War broke out. He moved on and worked with Guy Laroche for two seasons and followed by Thierry Mugler. In the 70s, Alaïa opened his own atelier in his apartment at the Rue de Bellechasse.

His hard work and dedication was handsomely paid when his big foray into the scene came in 1980 – the year his first ready-to-wear collection was released. Four years later, Alaïa won his first accolades as the Best Designer of the Year and Best Collection of the Year at the Oscars de la Mode – a fashion award event organised by the French Ministry of Culture. 

As the great Napoleon Bonaparte once said, “The pen is mightier than a sword”, the immensely positive reviews churned by two powerful fashion editors at the time ― Meka Tréanton of Depeche Mode and Nicole Crassat of Elle France ―propelled his career to greater stratosphere.

The following years saw more success to Alaïa, as a fashion designer and a fashion label: His collections were sold at Bergdorf Goodman after the renowned fashion emporium buyer spotted globally acclaimed interior designer Andrée Putman in his leather coat. Three freestanding stores were opened in Paris, New York and the Beverly Hills. Due to the body-clinging style of his clothes that exudes sensuality, he was dubbed as the “Cling King” by the media. 

Now kids, if you were still wondering how big Azzedine Alaïa’s influence in the fashion world is, just look for Madonna’s Bad Girl music video in YouTube. In one of the scenes, you will see the singer stripping off the plastic dry cleaner bag off a leather jacket with Alaïa’s label stitched on it. 

Oh, if you could get your hands on 90s hit movie Clueless, that would be better ― there is a part where Cher Horowitz, the main character portrayed by Alicia Silverstone (don’t know? Ask your mom!) was mugged by a thief at gun point and she mentioned that what she was wearing is from a very important designer (“This is an Alaïa!”) Now, that’s the power of Alaïa to you, boys and girls!

My informal acquaintance with Azzedine Alaïa began in the late 1990s. I first came across his name in an article from the Reader’s Digest magazine. Though the article revolved on the founding of Tati, a well-known mass retailer in France, it mentioned of how Alaïa sought the company’s permission to use its trademarked pink-white plaid pattern for one of his ready-to-wear collection. 

In return for the permission, Alaïa collaborated with the retailer on a capsule collection, consisting dresses, accessories and shoes retailed at Tati’s incredibly reasonable price. And mind you, this is eons before Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Versace collaborated with H&M or Victoria Beckham with Target!

Throughout the 1990s, less was heard of and from Alaïa due his sister’s death. Albeit the lesser or non-existent news reports were made about him, the designer did enjoy great success with his coterie of private clients as well as his ready-to-wear line. 

From 1997 to 1999, some of Alaïa’s fashionable creations can be seen on Indonesian singer Anggun who dropped her debut French album entitled Au Nom de la Lune (In the name of the Moon) and its English version, “Snow on the Sahara”. 

Pieces such as velvet paisley printed wraparound skirt worn with cropped crinkled button-up top with cut-out three-quartered sleeves, beaded sweetheart neckline dress, sensuous floral lace and satin lined slip dress and a lime green halter neck top were some of Alaïa’s notable creations worn by the singer in her album covers, CD booklets and single covers. In 2015, she wore an Alaïa creation for her seventh album, a French release entitled Toujours Un Ailleur (Always Elsewhere). 

While the 2000s saw the emergence of everything “it” such as the “it” bags, Alaïa refused to jump into the bandwagon. He stayed true to his craft by not creating clothes or anything that will generate mere income as what most fashion labels around the world are doing. This includes liberal licensing of labels and names to mass-consumption manufacturers that oftentimes resulted products that not only strayed from the expensive ethos or codes of the house but undeserving of consumers’ money. At the same time, he also did not care on the number of articles and editorials generated by press on him.

“He is smart enough to not only care about having people talk about him,” says Catherine Lardeur, the former editor-in-chief of Marie Claire France, “he only holds fashion shows when he has something to show, on his own time frame. Even when Prada owned him, he remained free and did what he wanted to do.”  

Albeit ‘it’ items and licensing has never been his cup of tea, Alaïa did launch a line of fragrance under his label. Inspired by mastering of new materials – the technique that propelled him to global stardom back in the 1980s, Alaïa mingles the airy notes of pink pepper, freesia and peonies for its heart and animal notes and musk for its base into a luxurious fragrance that reflects the multiple flows of his universe. 

There is also a second permutation of the fragrance known as Blanche (white) where hints of almond, heliotrope, and animal and musk notes blended with vanilla absolute serve as the ingredients of the lavish olfactory cocktail. 

To date, it can be said that the fragrance collection is the closest point of reach the masses could ever get into the superb jetsetter’s exclusive universe of Alaïa.

Despite his careless attitude for the press, he did create controversies ― twice, not once once ― in his life but in a rather tasteful way. The documented critics were of Chanel’s Creative Director Karl Lagerfeld ― “I don’t like his fashion, spirit and attitude. It’s too much caricature. Karl Lagerfeld has never touched a pair of scissors in his life” ― and on Vogue’s Anna Wintour’s place in fashion ― “She runs the business very well, but not the fashion part. When I see how she is dressed, I don't believe in her tastes one second....Anyway, who will remember Anna Wintour in the history of fashion? No one.”

Though we had never met in person (ask any fashion editor if he or she ever wanted to meet Azzedine Alaïa in flesh, rest assured they will part with their limbs for the chance!), Alaïa had given me a strong impression: By not going with the flow; putting your passion and interest first, money and fame next, achieving more than what you desire is impossible. 

Moreover, Alaïa too had made exclusivity and elusiveness gelled. That is by limiting the production of his ready-to-wear collections to a number of discreet retailers in more or less 10 cities around the world, continuously working with private clients such as journalist Louise de Vilmorin and Hollywood icon the late Greta Garbo, and show them to a lucky handful whenever he likes it ― sans the presence of the press. Yes, you may be wearing a ready-to-wear dress, but with Alaïa’s genius approach of marketing, it feels like you are literally wearing a couture!

To Monsieur Azzedine Alaïa, repose en paix, monsieur. Though you may cease walking the earth today, your legacy and the heritage of your revered maison will remain relevant with the movement of time.

Also, do send my regards to the likes of Diana Vreeland, Carmel Snow, Franca Sozzani, Anna Piaggi, Gianni Versace, Coco Chanel, Halston, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, and Andy Warhol when you reach fashion heaven. Rest assured a great welcome party is anticipating with bated breath for your arrival. Adieu!  

*Photos by Trendland, 10 Magazine; Patrick Demarchelier/Pleasure Photoroom Files, The International Culte Fashion Magazine; Sandra's Closet; New York Times; Carmencitta; Vogue Italia (vogue.it); and Darius Salim/Anggun History.