Azzedine Alaïa haute couture Fall 2017

After 6 years of waiting, the question arises... was it worth the wait? The answer strictly depends on what you were expecting from one of the last of the fashion wunderkinds. If you were expecting a revelation and never before seen silhouettes and visions, well you will be sadly disappointed as monsieur Alaïa is not one to bend to trends or to stray from his brand’s DNA or highly particular vocabulary. 

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Alaïa is a sort of mad scientist  as well a “tiny tyrant” who explores fabrications, constructions and techniques rather than out on a limb flights of fancy. It all about his treatments and craftsmanship; the play on shapes and volumes is more or less familiar just possibly taken to the next level of workmanship,  skillset  and quality. In other words don’t expect to be jolted out of your seat but rather to be awed by the abilities that the man possesses.

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It really should be taken into account one more time that here is an example of that blurred line between couture and ready to wear since to an untrained eye it would not be shocking if they cannot discern the difference. If there is an aspect or aspects that seem to stand out they would be the shearlings, the tulle confections, the coats, suits and that series of silver pieces that came toward the end of the show.

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The take away here is simply this was a return to the calendar that he has eschewed and bucked for years. The real question is whether or not this is a one off situation or will this be the start of a new cycle for the designer …  if I had to proffer a guess, I’d say don’t count on him joining the flock in the foreseeable future. He is and I believe will remain the rebellious and fiercely independent  tiny terror of French fashion.

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PS ... I guess Anna’s invite was lost in the mail … AGAIN!