Rare Alaia Black Beaded Cocktail Dress 1996
View Similar Items
Rare Alaia Black Beaded Cocktail Dress 1996
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Dimensions:Marked Size: L (EU)
- Style:Evening (In the Style Of)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU452042213
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.
- Gianni VersaceBy Gianni VersaceLocated in Los Angeles, CASoft leather dress with interesting neckline detail and hip pouch pocket. Relaxed easy fit through shoulders and waist. A stunning example of ear...Category
1980s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
$1,600 - Gianni Versace Vintage Black Bondage Dress with Gold Hardware, 1992By Gianni VersaceLocated in Los Angeles, CACondition : Excellent Vintage Condition Size : 38 A rare and unusual vintage Gianni Versace black bondage dress with lattice bodice, sides,...Category
1990s Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Yves Saint Laurent Velvet & Royal Purple Taffeta Ruffle Skirt Ensemble 1982By Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Los Angeles, CAResurrection Vintage is excited to offer a vintage Yves Saint Laurent purple taffeta ensemble featuring a button front jacket with black velvet paneling in the front and back, purple...Category
20th Century French Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Comme Des Garcons Black Pinstripe Pocket Dress 1992By Comme des GarçonsLocated in Los Angeles, CAResurrection Vintage is excited to offer a vintage Comme des Garcons black pinstripe dress featuring pockets on the front and back bottom hem, back zipper, and asymmetrical shaping a...Category
1990s Japanese Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Versace Black Mini Cocktail Dress With Cutout BackBy Donatella VersaceLocated in Los Angeles, CAResurrection Vintage is excited to offer a vintage black Gianni Versace bodycon mini cocktail dress featuring ribbed fabric, long sleeves, Medusa b...Category
Early 2000s Italian Cocktail Dresses
- Helmut Lang Black Knot Dress 2005By Helmut LangLocated in Los Angeles, CAResurrection Vintage is excited to offer a vintage Helmut Lang black knit jersey dress featuring an asymmetrical neckline and sleeves, knee-length, and several knots that circle arou...Category
Early 2000s American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Nipon Boutique Black Velvet Halter Dress with Satin Ribbon Size US 6By Albert NiponLocated in New York, NYNipon Boutique black velvet cocktail dress with satin ribbon trim and bows tied at neck and back. Flirty six paneled dress body with flared bottom. Fu...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses
- Adolfo Tropical Silk Jersey Strapless Dress with Half CapeletBy AdolfoLocated in New York, NYAdolfo strapless dress with bold green, indigo and white tropical floral print. Wonderfully tailored, with fitted bodice and draped open tulip front slit above the knee for movement...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Badgley Mischka Beaded Black Silk Lace Evening Gown Size US 10By Badgley MischkaLocated in New York, NYBadgley Mischka glamorous black silk lace evening gown, size US 10. Gown features hand beaded and embroidered lace with glass jet beading, and neckline with glass jet beads along cu...Category
Late 20th Century American Evening Gowns
- Valentino Boutique Black Beaded Silk Chiffon Evening Gown Size US 6By ValentinoLocated in New York, NYLuxurious Valentino Boutique black silk evening gown with tiered ruffles, sweeping hemline and hand beaded and embroidered bodice. Two ruffles at bodice are hand beaded with tiny jet...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Evening Dresses and Gowns
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford FW-02 Silk Flared Hem Dress - Velvet RibbonBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Brussels, BEFlirtation and eroticism were on American designer Tom Ford’s mind for his Fall/Winter 2002 Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche collection. Using stereotypical women’s fabrics for appropr...Category
Early 2000s French Sheath Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford SS-2001 Strapless Bandage Mini DressBy Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Brussels, BEA highlight from the Spring/summer 2001 YSL collection. This stretchy black strapless bandage mini dress with its wraparound belt that sculpt the waist ...Category
Early 2000s French Mini Dress