One might assume the fashion industry is fuelled by the kind of rivalries—bitchy, bitter or both—that could be a fruitful source of plot line-inspiration for Succession. And while there's no denying it's a world of high drama, it should be noted that many of its designers either honed their craft under the mentorship of another—or, in some cases, became lifelong fans of their work.
Azzedine Alaïa was one such individual. The Tunisian designer, who passed away in 2017, was taught the basics of sewing by his sister, who herself was instructed in needlework by nuns, eventually going on to work under some of the most venerated creative minds of the 20th century before launching his own house of Alaïa. As his obituary noted in The Guardian: "In a business in which casual cruelty is the norm, he was kind; he helped newcomers, kept open house to a diverse, elective family at his Paris workshop, and ran a salon in the old French sense, as a meeting place for culture and cultures."
This month, the designer is back in the spotlight, not just for his own designs but for his collection of another's: namely, Christian Dior's. Over eight decades, Alaïa amassed quite the collection of his chosen art form: couture, with 600 pieces alone from Dior. One hundred of these will, for the first time, be showcased at La Galerie Dior, with archival designs from Monsieur Dior, Yves Saint Laurent and John Galliano.
The collection shows what so preoccupied Alaïa. As Olivier Saillard, director of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, puts it: "In search of the mysteries of dresses and the delicate structures that make vaporous petticoats ‘stand up’, he skillfully brought together the objects of his adolescent dreams.”
Meanwhile at the Foundation, another collection will be exhibiting the works of these two "masters of couture". When he first arrived in Paris, Alaïa was hired for a few short days by the house of Dior. Despite the brevity of his time at the maison, Alaïa still contributed a rather staggering amount of work—and 30 of his designs for Dior, alongside a number of his own creations, are being displayed side-by-side to demonstrate the influence of Dior, the famed inventor of the "New Look", on the other.
If you find yourself in the City of Lights, both exhibitions will be running until May 2026. An afternoon in the company of two couture greats? You'll feel more stylish, more elegant just booking a ticket...
