Azzedine Alaia Collector, Alaia - Balenciaga, Sculptors of Shape

Yesterday I ran to my pool🏊‍♀️ in the Marais almost making it. But the pool was fermé/closed for 'incident technique' as they say.

Instead I went to the Azzedine Alaia Collector exhibit (entry 5€) a few blocks away. His boutique, atelier, bookstore and now plus an outdoor cafe are at 18, rue de la Verriere just behind BHV.

First you watch a 20-minute video (in English 🎉) which clarifies how hands-on Alaia was in producing every single step of a garment.

And what a generous friend he was to his models, workers, everyone. Alaia (1935-2017) seems to have been a kind and dedicated human being different from the elegant, aloof (and beautiful) Balenciaga. Plus he adored dogs.

Then you walk through the labyrinthine exhibit to  view the double pairs of Alaia/Balenciaga. I've seen a number of Balenciaga exhibits and thought I understood him. Maybe not.

The back story is Balenciaga's Vice General-Director (an aunt of one of Alaia's assistants) was concerned with the future heritage of his garments.

She offered them to Alaia at reasonable prices. He could not resist and bought garbage bags full of them.

So began his collection of thousands of fashion garments.

He was deeply influenced by Balenciaga's structure, cut, architectural shapes.

Seeing suit jackets, dresses, gowns side by side makes crystal clear how much he was influenced and how similar both their approach was to fashion. Both were sculptors and architects. Yet Alaia had his own particular take on the female body. Early days he designed costumes for les girls at Crazy Horse.

Go. Definitely a worthy exhibit to experience if you love fashion and set in a more intimate environment than the big museums.