Dress

Azzedine Alaïa

ca. 1990 · wool, nylon, leather, metal · Costume Institute

Azzedine Alaïa is known for his pairing of classical haute couture techniques with innovative materials such as this blend of wool and nylon, and for blending Western tailoring techniques with Eastern notions of draping and pleating. As a couture polymath, he is invested in the transformation of the two-dimensional textile into the sculptural three-dimensional garment. The backside of this garment, an ingenious fold-and-drape construction, creates the effect of a remnant of a bustle. This dress with Peter Pan collar exemplifies the type of knit, body-sculpting garments Alaïa created in the 1980s and 1990s, earning him the nickname “the King of Cling.”

Artist

Azzedine Alaïa

Date

ca. 1990

Medium

wool, nylon, leather, metal

Culture

French

Department

Costume Institute

Credit line

Gift of Estate of Jean Stein, 2017