ALAIA black viscose OVERSIZED COLLAR CROPPED Jacket 36 XS
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Zürich, CH
- Reference Number:
Azzedine Alaïa
Master Couturier, King of Cling: legendary fashion designer Azzedine Alaïa (1935–2017) is known by many names, each referring to his unparalleled ability to mold fabric onto the female form in unexpected and radical ways. The Tunisian-born designer spent his entire life in relentless pursuit of a wholly distinctive and most-flattering fit.
“For me, fashion is the body,” said Alaïa. “I make clothes; women make fashion.”
Alaïa is credited with inventing the supermodel through his exclusive fashion shows, the body-con dress — which, quite literally, hugs the body and emphasizes and embraces every curve — and pioneering what industry professionals have taken to calling “slow fashion.” The designer openly rejected empty, of-the-moment fads as well as the structure of biannual seasons and instead took his time, unhurried by press and releasing collections at his own pace. Most importantly, Alaïa was a visionary when it came to traditional notions of femininity and sexuality. At a time when loose, soft silhouettes were the norm, Alaïa’s sexy, waist-cinching hourglass and body-con outfits were shocking.
Alaïa’s “body-conscious clothes,” wrote fashion critic Suzy Menkes, “seemed a deliberate challenge — throwing down a sexist gauntlet in a feminist world.”
While powerful women such as Madonna, Michelle Obama, Naomi Campbell and Christy Turlington wear Alaïa’s creations today, his origins were remarkably humble.
Born to a farming family, Alaïa always had a creative streak. As a young boy, he would flip through women’s fashion magazines and quickly became interested in the design of women's clothing. He went on to study sculpture at the School of Fine Arts in Tunis and later worked as a tailor for a dressmaker before he found work creating garments based on Parisian haute couture designs. The combination of his classical training in sculpture and practical experience as a tailor convinced Alaïa that fashion was his calling. In 1957, he moved to Paris and worked for Christian Dior for less than a week before being fired. From there, Alaïa secured a job with Guy Laroche and opened his own maison in the 1970s.
At his core, Alaïa was a couturier who cut and sewed his samples himself. He also experimented with zips, seams, unexpected materials, textures, animal prints and floral patterns like an artist. Today, Alaïa’s clothes look untouched by the passage of time and the various trends that have materialized since their debut; they are as fresh, stylish and stunning as ever. His garments are pop-culture icons in their own right: Cher Horowitz, played by Alicia Silverstone in 1995’s Clueless, exasperated with a perpetrator holding her at gunpoint, declares, “But this is an Alaïa!”
Vintage Alaïa evening dresses, skirts and other attire continue to influence contemporary designers such as Nicolas Ghesquière and Hervé Léger. Not only are his clothes timeless in their glamour, but they also represent the groundbreaking vision of an artist, one who was known to proclaim, “I am not a designer. I am a couturier.”
Find a collection of Azzedine Alaïa day dresses, suits, jackets and more on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Zürich, Switzerland
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- ALEXANDER MCQUEEN black EMBELLISHED Suit Blazer Jacket 40 SBy Alexander McQueenLocated in Zürich, CHAlexander McQueen embellished trim blazer in black acetate (45%), viscose (45%) and silk (10%) with shoulder pads. Has beaded braid and fray trimmings, two decorative flap pockets on...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Jackets
- CHANEL blue white wool Tweed 3/4 Sleeve Blazer Jacket 48 XXXLBy ChanelLocated in Zürich, CHChanel 3/4-sleeve tweed blaze in black, blue, and white wool (50%), polyester (20%), cotton (12%), and nylon (8%). With mandarin collar, slightly puffed shoulders, two pockets on the...Category
2010s Blazers
- CHANEL black cotton LACE LAYERED Blazer Jacket 38 SBy ChanelLocated in Zürich, CHChanel lace-lacered blazer in black cotton (52%), rayon (32%), and nylon (16%) and white silk (100%). With shawl collar, two pockets on the front sides, buttoned sleeves, and signatu...Category
2010s Blazers
- DOLCE & GABBANA brown wool 2020 PRINCE OF WALES CHECK Coat Jacket 36 XSBy Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Dolce & Gabbana single-breasted coat in brown Prince of Wales check wool (46%), alpaca (26%), cotton (16%), polyamide (8%) and elastane (2%). Featues wingtip lapels in...Category
2010s Jackets
- CHRISTIAN DIOR black & white wool 2022 HOUNDSTOOTH Jacket 36 XSBy Christian DiorLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Christian Dior houndstooth jacket in black and white wool (with 3% polyamide). Features black quilted silk patch pockets at the waist, ...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Jackets
- ROLAND MOURET black wool 2017 STUDHAM DRAPED ASYMMETRIC Coat Jacket 14 LBy Roland MouretLocated in Zürich, CH100% authentic Roland Mouret 2017 Studham draped and asymmetric open coat in black wool (100%) with silk lining (100%). The design features a slit and fringed details on the cuff, sl...Category
2010s Jackets
- Franck Sorbier Haute Couture Cape in Velvet, 2014/15By Franck SorbierLocated in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FRFranck Sorbier -Haute Couture cape in velvet panne and velvet devoured. No composition label or size indicated, it corresponds to a 36FR/38FR. To note, ...Category
2010s French Capes
- Purple Mongolian Lamb 1980s Oversized Fur JacketLocated in Scottsdale, AZTake on the cold weather in style! Circa 1980s, this oversized jacket is made of soft purple dyed Mongolian lamb and features a tonal rabbit fur trim around the entire hem and cuffs....Category
1980s Unknown Fur Puffer Coats
- Dolce&Gabbana Men Fur Vest Vintage Mainline Size 50IT (M), S432By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in Kaunas, LTItem for sale is 100% genuine Dolce&Gabbana Fur Men Minimalistic Vest, S432 Color: Black (An actual color may a bit vary due to individual computer screen interpretation) Material: 6...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Vests
- Tom Ford for Gucci F/W 2003 Runway Collection Fur Leather Brown Jacket It 38By Gucci, Tom Ford for GucciLocated in Montgomery, TXTom Ford for Gucci Fox Fur Leather Jacket F/W 2003 Runway Collection Italian size 38 Color - Brown, 100% Real Fox , 100% Leather (super soft) Fron...Category
Early 2000s Italian Jackets
- 2010 Chanel "Shanghai Collection" Black Leather Jacket w/ CamelliasBy Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld for ChanelLocated in Gresham, OR2010 Chanel "Shanghai Collection" Black Lambskin Leather Jacket w/ Gorgeous Camellia Designs. Table-cut and topstitched camellias form a 3-dimensional effect. Front patch pockets, in...Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Jackets
- Black metallic leather single-breasted jacket ChanelBy ChanelLocated in Saint-Ouen-Sur-Seine, FRBlack metallic leather single-breasted with branded buttons and branded silk jacquard lining. Raglan sleeves and shoulder-pads. SIZE 38 (Fr) 8 (Us)Category
Early 2000s French Single-Breasted Jackets