ALAIA 2023 belted leather trimmed black corset poplin casual A-line dress FR36 S
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Hong Kong, NT
ALAIA 2023 belted leather trimmed black corset poplin casual A-line dress FR36 S Reference: SNKO/A00702 Brand: Alaia Designer: Pieter Mulier Collection: 2023 Material: Cotton, Leathe...
ALAIA wool blend square neck stretch tiered ruffle skirt cocktail dress FR36 S
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Hong Kong, NT
ALAIA pink beige wool blend square neck stretch tiered ruffle skirt cocktail dress FR36 S Reference: SNKO/A00523 Brand: Alaia Designer: Azzedine Alaia Material: Virgin Wool, Blend Co...
Alaïa Paris Black Textured Knit Fit & Flare Dress, IT 40
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
An elegant example of Azzedine Alaïa’s mastery of knitwear architecture, this black fit-and-flare dress is crafted in Italy from signature textured stretch knit. The sculpted bodice ...
Alaïa Red Jacquard Knit Dress – Spring/Summer 2017 IT 38
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
A refined and collectible Alaïa dress from the Spring/Summer 2017 collection, crafted in Italy using the house’s iconic stretch knit. Rendered in vibrant red with tonal circular jacq...
rare AZZEDINE ALAIA black 'Plissé Abeille' hand pleated RUNWAY dress
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in San Fransisco, CA
Rare Azzedine Alaïa “Plissé Abeille” Hand-Pleated Dress Exceptionally rare black “Plissé Abeille” dress by Azzedine Alaïa, made in Alaia's signature sculpting knit with intricate ha...
AZZEDINE ALAIA honey-comb woven dress with scalloped neck and fluted hem
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in San Fransisco, CA
Fitted, honey-comb woven knit dress with scalloped neckline and fluted hem designed by Azzedine Alaia. Color is black with a slightly metallic copper-brown weave to it. Labeled a Fre...
Alaia Black Sheer Jersey Long Sleeve Scoop neck Dress, Circa 1990's
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This is a sheer black Rayon jersey knit long sleeve dress by Alaia, from the 1990's. The dress has scoop neckline and trumpet sleeves. Size Large Length: 38" Sleeve: 25" B...
$1,456Sale Price|30% Off
Vintage 90s Alaia Wine Long Sleeves BodyCon Maxi Dress
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Sheung Wan, HK
- Vintage 90s Alaia Wine colour long sleeves body con maxi dress. Featuring his signature two fisheyes darts in front and his stretchy fabrics with back zipper closure. - Made in F...
ALAIA ivory viscose blend square neck sheer lattice knit fit flare dress FR36 S
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Hong Kong, NT
ALAIA ivory viscose blend square neck sheer lattice knit fit flare dress FR36 S Reference: SNKO/A00526 Brand: Alaia Designer: Azzedine Alaia Material: Viscose, Blend Color: Cream Pat...
Azzedine Alaia 1990s Black Bodcon Long Sleeve Sz Medium Vintage 90s Skater Dress
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in San Diego, CA
The perfect little black dress from none other than the legendary AZZEDINE ALAIA ! This early 90s piece features a tailored bodice with a flirty skater skirt. Flattering lines that o...
Alaïa Spring/Summer 2019 White Ribbed Knit Fit & Flare Skater Dress
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
A refined and sculptural creation from Azzedine Alaïa, this elegant white ribbed knit dress from the Spring/Summer 2019 collection exemplifies the house’s celebrated mastery of body-...
Alaïa Paris Sculptural Geometric Knit Fit-and-Flare Dress, IT 38
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
An elegant and collectible example of Alaïa Paris knit craftsmanship, this sculptural fit-and-flare dress is crafted in Italy from a stretch viscose blend with intricate black and in...
S/S 1989 Azzedine Alaïa Runway Black Cutout Collar Knit Bodycon Stretch Dress L
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Presenting a beautiful black knit Alaia stretch dress. From the Spring/Summer 1989 collection, this full-length dress debuted on the season's runway, modeled by Linda Evangelista. Th...
Alaïa 2000's Royal Blue Racer Neck Wool Jersey Mini Dress
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Jaw dropping! This 2000's Alaïa is instantly recognizable to any true fashion lover. The more obvious Alaïa elements begin with the quintessential wool jersey in a classic shade of A...
Vintage Alaia Polka Dot Body-Con Dress in Black
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Oakland, CA
This Alaia dress is black wool and rayon with white polka dots. The dress is constructed with a size zip and shoulder hooks. The fluted skirt is longer in the back of the dress. Th...
Azzedine Alaia S/S 1994 Houpette chenille knit mini dress XS
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in BELLEVUE HILL, NSW
This exact dress is held in the collection of the Fashion Institute of Design Museum, a shorter version is held in the Met, and the long gown version of the dress in black and white ...
Alaïa Sculptural Black Ribbed Knit Dress with Textured Ruffle Skirt FR 38
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
An exceptional Alaïa Paris knit dress exemplifying the house’s renowned sculptural craftsmanship. Made in Italy from a signature ribbed stretch knit, this sleeveless black dress cont...
ALAIA 2023 beige second-skin band belted jersey turtleneck maxi dresse FR36 S
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Hong Kong, NT
ALAIA 2023 beige second-skin band belted jersey turtleneck maxi dresse FR36 S Reference: LNKO/A02668 Brand: Alaia Collection: 2023 Material: Polyamide, Blend Color: Black, Nude Patte...
Alaïa Paris Sculptural White Laser-Cut Ruffle Mini Dress FR 38 Circa 2010s
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
A refined and sculptural Alaïa Paris mini dress showcasing the legendary couturier’s mastery of feminine architecture. Crafted in Italy from a luxurious stretch viscose blend, this s...
AZZEDINE ALAÏA Vintage S/S 1991 Black Polka Dot Bodycon Mini Dress
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
From Alaïa’s iconic Spring/Summer 1991 collection, this body-hugging mini dress features the house’s signature sculpted silhouette and a tonal embroidered polka dot motif—a detail me...
Alaïa Blue Sculpted Knit Fit-and-Flare Dress with Matching Cropped Cardigan IT38
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Woodland Hills, CA
An elegant and timeless Alaïa two-piece ensemble showcasing the house’s legendary mastery of sculptural knitwear and architectural tailoring. This refined set features a sleeveless V...
ALAIA pale blush pink open work drop waist plisse fringe knit mini dress FR36 S
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Hong Kong, NT
ALAIA pale blush pink open work drop waist plisse fringe knit mini dress FR36 S Reference: SNKO/A00704 Brand: Alaia Material: Silk, Blend Color: Pink Pattern: Solid Closure: Zip Extr...
Alaia Black Sheer Stretch Viscose Long Sleeved Mini Dress W/Flounced Hem
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Studio City, CA
Vintage Azzedine Alaia black sheer stretch viscose long sleeved mini dress with scooped neck and flounced hem. Bodice has a nude-colored lining. In excellent condition. No size tag, ...
1980s Azzedine Alaia Black Dolman Sleeve Vintage 80s Mini Dress or Sweater
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in San Diego, CA
Amazing early AZZEDINE ALAIA black mini dress or sweater tunic! Incredible design by the body conscious designer, whom always produces figure flattering designs. Stitching at the bot...
ALAIA Paris c.2010 Black Wool Ribbed Knit Pleated Hem Fit & Flare Mini Dress
By Azzedine Alaïa
Located in Thiensville, WI
ALAIA Paris c.2010 Black Wool Ribbed Knit Pleated Hem Fit & Flare Mini Dress Brand / Manufacturer: Alaia Paris Circa: 2010 Designer: Azzedine Alaia Style: Fit & Flare Color(s): Blac...
AZZEDINE ALAIA 1990 Vintage Runway Editorial Long Sleeve Knit Mini Dress
Located in Leonardo, NJ
Azzedine Alaia Vintage Runway FW90 Editorial in Elle France as worn by Yasmeen Ghauri Pullover Size Large, but fits smaller Excellent condition, minor feeling of wear, no flaws Measu...
1990 ALAIA Blush Pink Rayon Jersey Bodycon Cocktail Dress With Cut Out Racer Ba
Located in New York, NY
1990 ALAIA Blush Pink Rayon Jersey Bodycon Cocktail Dress With Cut Out Racer Back
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.
With entire museum exhibitions dedicated to examining fashion designers and their creations, we’re finally recognizing that costuming is art. Evening dresses over time have conveyed specific statements about social class, position and beliefs. Fashion is a powerful means of self-expression, and sophisticated vintage evening dresses and gowns by our favorite couturier play no small role in making us feel wonderful but, perhaps more importantly, making us feel like ourselves.
In the 16th century, dresses and gowns were so important that England's Queen Elizabeth I defined rules about what dresses women could wear — guidance included long skirts and fitted bodices. Forward-thinking designers have responded to this history.
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel reimagined traditionally masculine garments for feminine shapes, and her elegant evening dresses and gowns promoted comfort and grace in women’s wear that had been dominated in the previous century by layers of fabric. Christian Dior's gowns celebrated luxury and femininity in the late 1940s — and gave to women the gift of glamour they’d lost in the miserable years of the war. French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent introduced innovative and highly coveted dress designs in the 1960s while at the same time challenging sexist stereotypes about which members of society could wear tuxedos.
Works by unconventional British designer John Galliano — featured in houses like Givenchy and Dior — redefined limits that dressmakers faced in terms of material, construction and vision during the late 20th century. From his embroidered absinthe-green Oscars gown for actress Nicole Kidman to the iconic sleeveless Dior newspaper dress that Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw made famous, Galliano’s intricate and multifaceted work is reliably collectible and newsworthy
Today’s designers target an increasingly broad audience with their boundary-crossing work, and their tendency to play off of each other’s ideas means that every walk down the runway is also a walk through an entire history of fashion design and dress craftsmanship.
Whether you gravitate toward backless maxi dresses or silk charmeuse gowns by Alexander McQueen or embellished, ruffled floral-print designs by Chloe or Versace, there is an extraordinary collection of vintage and designer evening dresses and gowns waiting for you on 1stDibs.