Maison Alaïa Launches Editions, a New Collection of Everyday Essentials Made the Azzedine Way

Alaïa fans, ’tis the season to rejoice. Today at 5 PM Paris time, the house will host a live performance on Instagram to present a new, recurring collection of house classics called Maison Alaïa Editions. True to the couturier’s sui generis ways, the presentation is both off-calendar and designed to replicate the intimate setting he preferred, the better to emphasize craft, sensuality, and the importance of time. That said, it also opens a new chapter.

Famously, Monsieur Alaïa was never keen on having a website, let alone a social media account. Arguably, he didn’t need one: His famed kitchen was his platform, and his dinner parties were the hottest invitation in Paris. And so today marks the Maison Aläia’s debut in the artistic-slash-digital world, with an event to be held at the Gaité Lyrique cultural center for the digital arts in Paris, in a purpose-built set, hosted by model “godmother” and Alaïa’s honorary daughter Naomi Campbell, and starring the French-Moroccan dancer, model, and choreographer Hajiba Fahmy, wearing the white crinoline dress seen above.

Offsetting choreography by Brieuc Breitenstein will be a curtain in cotton voile and light projections orchestrated by technical director Etienne Guiol, whose four cameras and 3D mappings will trace details of craft, perforations, draping, and cut. Afterwards, Campbell and Karlie Kloss will connect via video to talk about the collection.

Since Monsieur Alaïa’s death three years ago, each season has brought with it a small handful of couture-level pieces, each 100% faithful to the original, down to the very last stitch. Inevitably, those items, such as an embroidered black evening coat or a gown in perforated leather, were breathtaking. So, too, were their price tags.

With Editions, newly appointed CEO Myriam Serrano and her team are widening the field with a collection of essentials that are more objectively affordable. Every spring and fall, a seasonal edit of 30 or so pieces will span t-shirts, brassieres and leggings, knit dresses, and classic Alaïa goddess dresses, perfectos, and trenches, each marked with their year of origin. As for accessories, Editions was also the occasion to bring to life the Corset bag, which Alaïa first dreamed up in 1992 yet never produced (it bows in white, black and red).

It already looks like the bet has paid off: The white basque shirt in Japanese poplin famously worn by Tina Turner is all but sold out everywhere.

The Maison Alaïa Collection is available at Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Net-A-Porter, and on www.maison-alaia.com.