The King of Cling: Alaïa’s legacy continues as Pieter Mulier redefines sensuality for the modern woman

In a world obsessive about fleeting tendencies and ephemeral moments, Alaïa has remained steadfast in its philosophy that ladies come first. Based by the late Tunisian-born Azzedine Alaïa within the late Nineteen Seventies, the model set a novel customary for artistry and the celebration of the female type. Naturally nicknamed the “King of Cling”, his creations have been – and proceed to be – thought-about revolutionary, providing a fusion of architectural precision with a sensuality that empowered girls in a method few designers might. At present, underneath the inventive route of Pieter Mulier, Alaïa’s narrative evolves, mixing its storied heritage with a contemporary perspective for the trendy girl.

To completely recognize Alaia’s influence, you should know that Azzedine Alaia was at the beginning a sculptor. Born in Tunis in 1935, the younger boy’s first introduction to style got here by way of copies of Vogue gifted by his mom’s buddy, main him to steer his twin sister to show him the best way to sew. Mendacity about his age to achieve entry to the École des Beaux-Arts to check sculpture, he funded his tuition by helping an area seamstress. The mixture undeniably set the groundwork for his capability to form clothes that celebrated the physique’s contours, eschewing extra in favour of serene precision.

(Picture credit score: Getty Photographs)

Arriving in Paris throughout the Nineteen Fifties, he refined his contact by working underneath Man Laroche, earlier than launching his label in 1964 and opening his first atelier in his tiny house on rue de Bellechasse in 1979. Inside a matter of years, the Alaïa title had turn out to be synonymous with body-conscious silhouettes, finely reduce leather-based and form-fitting knitwear – rejecting the last decade’s style for maximalism that favoured shoulder pads, outsized blazers and garish patterns.

From the start, Alaïa was uncompromising. Not solely in his imaginative and prescient but additionally in his rejection of the style system, preferring to indicate off-calendar and as an alternative unveiling his work in small, intimate rooms when he deemed it prepared. He constructed his personal close-knit circle of collaborators together with photographer Peter Lindbergh, editor Carla Sozzani and supermodel Naomi Campbell, whom he took underneath his wing when she was 16 years previous, famously referring to him as “Papa”. His house above the atelier was famend for its unending lunches and dinners the place anybody from seamstresses to actresses have been invited to converse. This slower tempo was deliberate because it underscored his view that style was an everlasting craft relatively than a disposable commodity.

The passing of Alaïa in 2017 left a void in not solely the model however the trade at massive. However how do you inherit the legacy of somebody whose imaginative and prescient was so singular? In 2021, the query was answered: Pieter Mulier.

The Belgian designer studied design and structure at Brussel’s Institut Saint-Luc, earlier than slicing his enamel at Raf Simons’ atelier and swiftly being appointed senior designer in 2002. This partnership ran rife, as in 2006 he adopted Simons to Jil Sander, Dior in 2012 and Calvin Klein in 2016. Although an anticipated alternative on the time because of the medical precision he had turn out to be identified for, Mulier understood the load of the duty forward: “It’s with this super sense of admiration and accountability that I’ll search to hold ahead his legacy of celebrating femininity and inserting girls on the coronary heart of creation”.

The King of Cling: How Pieter Mulier reinvented Alaïa

His debut present for Spring/Summer season 2022 marked the beginning of a brand new chapter and proved to be a masterclass in honouring legacy. The architectural sensibility that Alaïa had turn out to be identified for, seamlessly was rejuvenated with a extra fashionable execution. The present notes wrote merely: “A homage to Alaïa – man, grasp, maison – and to femininity, which Azzedine Alaïa cherished and championed above all else”, proving that this appointment was nothing wanting a stroke of genius. Recognisable draped jersey robes swooshed previous the entrance row, hoods winked again on the AW1984 and 1986 assortment, and laser-cut belts made a welcome return. Whereas there have been stark similarities to his predecessor, Mulier was in a position to carry his personal with pops of color lastly including vibrance to the palette, bolder cut-outs exposing extra pores and skin and most notably, the introduction of equipment.

Including a brand new dimension to the home’s choices has catapulted the title Alaïa into right this moment’s stream of must-haves. Beginning with the fishnet ballet flat that debuted in Might 2022, the shoe gained such immense reputation it has been regularly reimagined with crystal studs, patent calfskin, suede, and satin – and nonetheless has everybody trying to find a pair. Regardless of it being over two years previous, Lyst’s Index for 2024 noticed it achieve first place because the primary ‘Hottest Accent’ to personal. So as to add to the momentum, Le Teckel, a smooth, elongated shoulder bag impressed by the Dachshund, cemented its unwavering place within the modern panorama because it has held on the arms of everybody from Margot Robbie to Tracee Ellis Ross.

Simply shy of 42 years after the founder had introduced his assortment at Bergdorf Goodman, Alaïa returned to New York Metropolis final September to current its Spring/Summer season 2025 assortment. Whereas the Guggenheim Museum remodeled right into a runway, it felt like Mulier understood that style will all the time imply artwork at Alaïa. With the likes of Rihanna watching the new-wave of supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Vittoria Cerretti make their method down the well-known spiral inside, capes, circle skirts and draped attire echoed the person earlier than whereas sportswear motifs and exaggerated shapes signalled the longer term.

Alaïa’s enduring relationship with craftsmanship is solely a celebration of feminine individuality. Beneath Mulier, the model has been in a position to broaden naturally and fearlessly discover new horizons while remaining loyal to its core rules. It was by no means about getting a successor to assist Alaïa survive however to see it thrive and proceed to sculpt a future the place girls be happy to be themselves.