Alaia Wool Knit Cat Suit
View Similar Items
Alaia Wool Knit Cat Suit
About the Item
- Designer:
- Dimensions:Length: 53 in (134.62 cm)Marked Size: 36 (EU)Bust: 34 in (86.36 cm)Waist: 27 in (68.58 cm)Hip: 33 in (83.82 cm)
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Material Notes:wool knit
- Condition:excellent.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: AU11092044759
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.
- Valentino Pant With Sequin and Lace DetailBy ValentinoLocated in New York, NYValentino, flat front, wool jersey, wide pant, with lace, black sequin and beaded detail towards the end lf the leg.Category
1990s Italian Flat Front Pants
- Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche Wool Crepe JumpsuitBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in New York, NYYves Saint Laurent, Rive Gauche, fine wool, black, long sleeve, jumpsuit, having a V necline and a front zipper closure.Category
1980s French Jumpsuits
- Ferragamo Graphic Pattern Silk JumpsuitBy FerragamoLocated in New York, NYFerragamo, brown and cream, abstract print, wide leg, sleeveless, jumpsuit, having a V neckline and an attached wide sash.Category
Early 2000s Italian Jumpsuits
- Geoffrey Beene Jumpsuit with White DetailBy Geoffrey BeeneLocated in New York, NYJeffrey Beene, silk, heavy crepe, jumpsuit, having no waist, and ivory silk detail at the collar and shoulders.Category
1990s American Jumpsuits
- Carolyne Roehm Sequined and Embroidered EnsembleBy Carolyne RoehmLocated in New York, NYCarolyne Roehm, Bronze and camel tone sequined and wool 2 piece ensemble. Top is a metallic bronze tone, long sleeve, jeweled neckline, with sequins and embroidery detail. Embroider...Category
Late 20th Century British Cocktail Dresses
- Norman Norrel Ivory Moygashel Linen 2 piece Day EnsembleBy Norman NorellLocated in New York, NYIvory moygashel linen Norman Norrel 2 piece day dress. Sleeveless top is double breasted with slightly gathered straight skirt with 2 pockets.Category
1960s American Day Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford FW-2001 Tailored Silhouette Cotton PantsBy Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Brussels, BEElongating the female form has been one of Tom Ford’s key design trademarks since his arrival at the Florentine House of Gucci. He applied the same slimming and lengthening principle...Category
Early 2000s French Pants
- John Galliano 2000s Embroidered Cotton Flared PantsBy John GallianoLocated in Brussels, BEEmbellishment is a definite Galliano trademark, as well as the intention to subvert classic menswear styles. These low-waist, sensual cotton flares are embroidered with colorful flow...Category
Early 2000s Portuguese Pants
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford FW-2003 Higher Waist Cotton PantsBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, Tom Ford for Yves Saint LaurentLocated in Brussels, BEMenswear shapes were a constant source of inspiration for French designer Yves Saint Laurent. He put women in tailored pants and tuxedo suits, which created outrage in the late 1960s...Category
Early 2000s Italian Pants
- Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquière SS-2006 Wool & Cotton TrousersBy Balenciaga, Nicolas GhesquièreLocated in Brussels, BEBALENCIAGA by Nicolas Ghesquière Introducing the epitome of sartorial refinement: the trousers from Nicolas Ghesquière's Spring 2006 collection. With meticulous attention to detail a...Category
Early 2000s French Pants
- JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SS03 COUTURE Wool Sequin Embroidered PantsBy Jean Paul GaultierLocated in Brussels, BEHollywood Glamour -and the decadent appeal of its Golden Age- are recurrent themes within Jean Paul Gaultier’s work and his men’s and women’s collections. These mannish pants, made o...Category
Early 2000s Italian Pants
- Yves Saint Laurent by Tom Ford FW-2001 Higher Waist Cotton PantsBy Tom Ford for Yves Saint Laurent, Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Brussels, BEMenswear shapes were a constant source of inspiration for French designer Yves Saint Laurent. He put women in tailored pants and tuxedo suits, which created outrage in the late 1960s. Saint Laurent liberated women with his clothes and understood that pants were the way forward. It is therefore logical that Tom Ford would offer his own version of the Saint Laurent pant, underlining the waist and slimming them down for contemporary appeal. Reference to Saint Laurent's 60s Haute Couture...Category
Early 2000s Italian Pants