Admiration at the Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior Exhibition
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Here is an event we have been eagerly anticipating: the double exhibition of Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior. Unveiled at the latter’s foundation and at La Galerie Dior, the two installations create a dialogue between the creations of these two great names in haute couture, set against a backdrop of admiration and the quest for perfection. The visits reveal themselves as love letters to fashion, its crafts, and the ingenuity of these virtuoso couturiers.
Christian Dior through the admiring eyes of Azzedine Alaïa
While exhibitions generally highlight artistic collaborations between creators, these two installations instead showcase the admiring gaze of one couturier towards a peer.
Indeed, Christian Dior and Azzedine Alaïa never created a collection together. However, the latter did do an internship at the workshops of the great Parisian house upon arriving in France in 1956. This experience, which lasted only a few days, merely served to intensify his passion for the world of the great couturier, which he discovered while still living in Tunisia through magazines.
Fascinated by the structure of the dresses designed by Christian Dior, which he claimed “seemed to stand on their own,” Azzedine Alaïa embarked on a quest to preserve these treasures of couture while trying to understand all their secrets.
Having gathered more than 600 pieces from the Dior house in his personal collection, his journey as a collector has greatly influenced his work as a creator, enabling him to become one of the major figures in haute couture, particularly recognized for his structural cuts that have become his signature.
The double exhibition of Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior thus reveals a portion of these pieces, long kept from view, presenting them as witnesses to a fashion in evolution. It is also an ode to creation and the craftsmanship of all the small hands in the workshops and those of the conservation teams of the houses.
Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior: two Masters of Haute Couture
The first exhibition we visited is the one taking place at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa. Under its grand glass roof, a dialogue unfolds between 68 pieces, highlighting how much the work of the founder was inspired by that of Christian Dior.
Displayed in a delicate scenography, the models resonate with fabrics, cuts, pleats, and other embellishments that have traversed time. It is fascinating to observe how the levitating petticoats, buttonholes, patina cuts, and other lacework created in the 1950s by Christian Dior have been reinterpreted in Alaïa’s universe, like a tribute.
Amid these similarities in silhouettes and shades, we consistently observe the unique identity of each creator, and it is this dialogue that is so intriguing to discover.
La Galerie Dior enhanced with the treasures of Azzedine Alaïa
We then headed to 11 rue François 1er to continue our visit. Behind the grand doors of La Galerie Dior, there are new treasures, exceptionally lent by the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa as part of this double exhibition.
Indeed, the diligent work of the couturier-collector, combined with the great conservation and restoration expertise of Dior Heritage, now allows for the public display of about a hundred new pieces within this historically rich location.
Integrating the initial journey of La Galerie Dior, these couture treasures (in very good condition) add new details to the narrative of the exhibition. They illuminate the work of the various creators who have succeeded each other at the head of the house, showcasing how the house has evolved and how it has redefined the codes of women’s fashion.
From Yves Saint Laurent to John Galliano, passing through Gianfranco Ferré and Marc Bohan, the silhouettes are both time capsules and creative expressions, and it is a real privilege to be able to discover them.
The double exhibition Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior thus offers a unique perspective that differs from the previous installations we have seen. And although the two creators did not share a relationship or collection together, the creations presented to us write a beautiful story of admiration and inspiration.
There is no particular order to visit these two parts of the exhibition, as each has its own theme. The installation at La Galerie Dior will be displayed until May 3, and that at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa until May 24.
Photos: © Pauline PINOT
