Alaïa under Azzedine has been a kind of mini Chanel. The brand was never in nor out. Alaïa marched to the beat of his own drum and presented collections whenever he wanted. He could be sure of one thing. The critics lapped it up and loved it. Pieter Mulier is bringing regularity to Alaïa with his second collection presented on the runway. Not before or after fashion weeks but on the opening night of Haute Couture. A coveted slot that Hedi Slimane used to present his Saint Laurent shows or Donatella Versace for her star studded Atelier outings. Now this slot belongs to Alaïa and underscores the brand heat Mulier has created in a very short time. Everyone connects Mulier to Raf Simons – Mulier even thanked him in his emotional show notes which was written as a letter to the audience – but unlike his mentor, the new Alaïa designer is very comfortable with making subversively sexy clothes. Yes, it sells. His strong show last night at the Alaïa headquarters in the Marais balanced super saucy looks with mannish tailoring on the best models in the industry with a magnificent soundtrack.
Pieter Mulier’s show notes for Alaïa F/W 2022
New territory?
The most obvious Mulier signature in the collection and new to Alaïa was the superb tailoring. Élise Crombez in an elegant black volume caban or the sharp shoulder jacket worn over jacket styling felt like a smart juxtaposition to the sexier looks like Maike Inga’s see through dress.
Élise Crombez wearing a voluminous caban
Maike Inga walking for Alaïa F/W 2022
Jacket over jacket styling
Art and Alaïa?
Mulier thanked Raf Simons for showing him how to mix art with his creations. Clearly, he was well taught and worked on Dior collections, which engaged with the estate of Andy Warhol. Mulier himself turned to a partnership with the Picasso administration to translate ceramic works by Pablo Picasso, a late period in the artist’s oeuvre. Mulier presented custom-woven embroidered and knitted dresses with tactile surfaces in the middle section of the show.
Custom-woven and embroidered dresses
Pieter Mulier got inspired by Picasso’s work
Favorite look?
The skintight body suit made of black wool on top and denim from the mid thigh to the bottom looked terrific.
Our favorite look
The mum factor?
Mulier dedicated this show to his mother who sat in the front row. But what did she bring to the collection? “I grew up only listening to classical music”, confessed Mulier backstage so on a chance encounter with Gustave Rudman Rambali a Franco-Swedish composer and producer who created the soundtrack for the series Euphoria, he spontaneously hired him to sit in on fittings to custom-arrange the poetically beautiful soundtrack for the show.
Closing look at Alaïa F/W 2022
