Alaia yellow cotton summer wrap dress, SS 1990
View Similar Items
Alaia yellow cotton summer wrap dress, SS 1990
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: M (EU)
- Place of Origin:Italy
- Period:
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU14022380993
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.
- Issey Miyake multicoloured four-piece layered pleated dress, ss 1993By Issey MiyakeLocated in London, GB▪ Issey Miyake rare layered pleated dress ▪ Consisting of four-layered individual garments ▪ A-line shape ▪ Designed to bounce up and down when worn ▪ Yellow, green, orange, and bl...Category
1990s Japanese Evening Dresses and Gowns
- John Galliano grey rayon checked Blanche Dubois bustled coat dress, ss 1988By John GallianoLocated in London, GBJohn Galliano London; grey rayon Prince of Wales check coat dress. Bustled skirt falling in polonaise drapes, gathering into a band at the hem - c...Category
1980s British Day Dresses
- Comme des Garcons gingham crepe shirt dress, A / W 1995By Comme des GarçonsLocated in London, GB- Peter pan collar - Black button closures - From the outside the front of the dress appears as two separate garments, a jacket and skirt. Autumn-Winter 1995Category
1990s Japanese Day Dresses
- Jean Paul Gaultier fringed silk macramé dress, ss 2000By Jean Paul GaultierLocated in London, GB▪ Jean Paul Gaultier silk macramé dress ▪ Sold by One of a Kind Archive ▪ Spring-Summer 2000 ▪ Constructed from multicoloured printed silk ribbons ▪ Fri...Category
Early 2000s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Gucci by Tom Ford pink floral silk shift dress with leather bands, ss 1999By Tom Ford for Gucci, GucciLocated in London, GB▪ Gucci shift dress ▪ Designed by Tom Ford ▪ Pink and red floral printed silk ▪ Black leather waist bands ▪ Flounce hem ▪ Boat neck ▪ IT 42 - FR 38...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Dolce & Gabbana tan suede patchwork mini shirt dress, ss 2001By Dolce & GabbanaLocated in London, GBDolce & Gabbana tan suede patchwork mini shirt dress with tassel buttons Spring-Summer 2001Category
Early 2000s Italian Day Dresses
- Mary Katrantzou Floral Patterned Skater DressBy Mary KatrantzouLocated in London, GBA Mary Katrantzou skater dress adorned in the brand's iconic prints, of symmetrical floral print with roses and peonies in shades of pink and red on a lemon yellow. The darted bodice...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Day Dresses
- Moschino Cheap Chip Yellow Peach Sign DressBy Moschino, Moschino Cheap and ChicLocated in Los Angeles, CAMoschino cheap chip yellow peach sign dress Super cute summer dress in a retro cool print and design! Peach signs, smily face trees, and flowers are super cute all worked in together. Empire waist...Category
1990s Italian Casual Dresses
- 1980s I. Magnin Yellow Flower Print Chiffon DressBy I. MagninLocated in San Francisco, CA1980s I. Magnin Yellow Flower Print Chiffon Dress. Front ruffle collar detail. Lined bodice and skirt.Category
1980s Day Dresses
$199 Sale Price20% Off - 70s Saks Fifth Avenue Jersey Knit Maxi DressBy Saks Fifth AvenueLocated in San Francisco, CA70s Saks Fifth Avenue empire waist, yellow jersey knit maxi dress.Category
1970s Unknown Day Dresses
$295 Sale Price34% Off - 30s Yellow Mesh Gown and SlipLocated in San Francisco, CA30s Yellow Mesh Gown and Slip. Side snap closures.Category
1930s Unknown Aesthetic Day Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Yellow Summer DressBy Yves Saint LaurentLocated in PARIS, FRGood condition, shows some signs of use and wear as light stains in the back of the dress. Yellow elegant cotton dress with eight white button Height 104 cm / 41" Width 50 cm / 19 "Category
21st Century and Contemporary French Aesthetic Day Dresses
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Azzedine Alaïa Was a Couturier Who Thought Like a Sculptor
The first fashion exhibit to be held at the new London Design Museum celebrates the famed Tunisian-Parisian couturier's lifetime of work.
This Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen Ensemble Is Part Zsa Zsa Gabor, Part ‘Blade Runner’
As Burton steps away from the brand, it’s a fitting time to revisit one of her visionary designs.