Azedine Alaia’s vast treasure was revealed at the Palais Galliera

He was one of the giants of couture, even though he was only 1.58 m tall. Azedin Alaia, who disappeared in 2017, left his mark in the history of fashion. A virtuoso of cutting, this son of farmers from Tunisia, who studied fine arts, has taken the world by storm since the 1980s with his sheath dresses, sculpted as close to the female body as possible. Founded in 1979, his house narrowly escaped bankruptcy in the 2000s before partnering with Prada and then the Richemont group that today perpetuates the bold Alaia style (led by Peter Mulier).

Atypical, reserved, but also obsessed with details, Azedin Alaia collected fashion tirelessly throughout his life. Extremely rare pieces from the birth of haute couture in the late 19th century to contemporary designers; more than 20,000 pieces in total. Balenciaga, Chanel, Lanvin, Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli, Madeleine Vionnet, Jean Patou, Christian Dior, but also Jean Paul Gaultier, Comme des Garcons, Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler and Yohji Yamamoto… Fashion treasures are jealously guarded for decades and finally. dazzling exhibition at the Palais Galliera. The museum, which in 2013 offered the first retrospective exhibition dedicated to the master’s work.

A conversation with fashion historian, Alaïa Foundation director and exhibition curator Olivier Saillard (with Mirren Arzaluz).

Madame Figaro . – Why is this collection unique?
Olivier Sailard. – Because it is the largest private collection in terms of number and quality, quite simply. We saw the full extent of this when Azedin Alaia died. Marais in his Paris home (which became the Alaïa Foundation, editor’s note), rooms were full on all five floors. It was like discovering Pompeii. We found incredible items, unopened cardboard boxes of Madame Grès dresses (he had 900, Editor’s noteThree hundred Madeleine Vionnet dresses, but also a 1919 Matisse dress for the Ballets Russes, on display at the Museum of Modern Art in Paris. We unpacked, stocked, inventoried, restored… and it took us five years. Azedine was a passionate collector. In the auction rooms, he was the envy of French and American museum directors because he was willing to spend insane amounts of money to acquire a piece. The day she signed her partnership with Prada, she bought a Paul Poiret dress for €150,000.

She wanted to ensure that the dress, which took hours of work for little hands, did not end up in the trash.

Olivier Sailard

Azedin Alaia had an approach to fashion that resembles that of a conservative…
It was in 1968 that Azzedine clicked. As Cristóbal Balensaga’s house closes, the director, Mademoiselle René, authorizes her to collect fabrics. That was the beginning of his frenzy. He built his collection like a museum, that is, representing every possible area of ​​fashion history, accumulating all the creations of those he admired. She wanted to ensure that the dress that little hands worked on for hours did not end up in the trash. He was very attached to the idea that this heritage could not leave France, and fashion. He was the pioneer of preservation of this heritage. Few of the great couturiers say they love the history of fashion. He is the one who did the work. He is neither Lacroix nor Dior… And even less Karl Lagerfeld, who hated talking about the past. Pierre Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent aside, I haven’t seen this level of transmission among other couturiers. Azedin, for his part, dared to say that looking to the past to imagine the future is arbitrary.

How did she choose her pieces?
He not only collected the great masters, but also forgotten names, houses that did not enter this crossroads of 20th century luxury, which lasted a short time or did not find a buyer, such as Jacques Fatt. He also accumulated things that no French museum has, such as these five hundred dresses signed by the American Adrian, who dressed all of Hollywood, including Greta Garbo. He also collected contemporaries such as Nicolas Ghesquière, Vivienne Westwood, Martin Margiela and John Galliano, whom he adored. He had no problem admitting that he liked other people’s work. He also had great admiration for Japanese designers such as Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons, Issey Miyake…

How was the selection of one hundred and forty models presented?
There is a time to gather and there is a time to pass, according to the wishes of Azedin, who wanted it to be done after his death. Obviously, we cannot show everything, but we should try to talk about taste and style. Azzedine’s taste is timeless pieces that speak of technique and know-how. She has kept clothes that emphasize creativity with this notion of authority. There are many black, blue or red dresses in the exhibition, but there are also many colorful pieces. And of course masterpieces like Schiaparelli’s sublime Zodiac jacket with star motifs, which appeared at auction in 2013. We also feature rare, lesser known designer pieces; or Lucille Manguin, daughter of painter Henri Manguin.

What does this fashion exhibition say?
I wanted people to understand that everything we say about fashion is false. Fashion doesn’t change that much, it takes ten years for it to really change, and only the big movements remain. The Madame Grès dresses we feature can be of the season… Well, we wish.

“ Azedin Alaia, fashion designer collector “, from September 27, 2023 to January 21, 2024 at the Palais Galliera in Paris.