Maison Alaïa to present its next collection in New York

It's written in black and white in Courier font: "6-8th September 2024. New York City. Alaïa". Maison Alaïa recently announced that it will fly to New York from September 6th to 8th to present its FW25 collection. A place far from trivial, but highly symbolic for the House, where the brand and the career of its founder Azzedine Alaïa took a different turn 40 years ago. The city, not only dear to the heart of the House's pioneer, is just as important to the one who took over in February 2021, as it is also the place where he made his debut in the fashion world. A true story of a successful American dream that would inspire many creators dreaming of fame and the runways of Fashion Week in the American fashion capital. A look back at the New York show that changed the House's trajectory and how the city nurtured the one who now pulls its strings.

Maison Alaïa is about to experience a true return to its roots with its comeback on the New York runways at the upcoming September Fashion Week. Let's set the scene: it's the early 60s, the young Tunisian Azzedine Alaïa born to farming parents moves to France after graduating from the Beaux-Arts, and starts working for a couturier. The exciting world of crepe, cotton, and poplin opens up to him, and he discovers a true calling for couture. Soon, he becomes the right-hand man of his close friend Thierry Mugler. In the 80s, the designer gains attention for his talent in dressing women while respecting and highlighting their natural curves, without artifice and without compromise, and launches his eponymous ready-to-wear brand. His creations catch the eye of the director of the New York department store Bergdorf Goodman, who invites him to organize a show in the heart of the metropolis. Encouraged by his friend Thierry Mugler, he accepts, and the rest is history.

This show will be an opportunity for the young Tunisian to expand into the American market and give him transatlantic visibility that will allow him to consolidate the foundations of his House. Although the rest of his shows and presentations take place in his Parisian ateliers, he returns to New York in 1985 to present his collection at the Palladium. 52 models, more than 1500 guests, the show makes the headlines and firmly establishes the designer in the category of fashion genius. Four decades later, the House honors its past and decides to once again step onto the New York runways. This time, it is Pieter Mulier, the current creative director, who will orchestrate the event. A Belgian designer whose career soared precisely in the Big Apple in 2016, where he worked for 2 years alongside his compatriot Dries Van Noten at the helm of Calvin Klein. The last step of his professional journey before obtaining the coveted title of creative director of a major fashion brand: Maison Alaïa. So, we will see what he has in store to meet the high expectations of his audience, and above all, how he will honor the brand's past during this pilgrimage.