FONDATION AZZEDINE ALAIA / PASSION TRANSMISSION
“For many years now, I've been buying and collecting dresses, coats and jackets that bear witness to the great history of fashion. For me, it has become a corporate attitude to preserve them, a mark of solidarity with those who, before me, had the pleasure and skill of the chisel. It's a tribute on my part to all the professions and all the ideas that these garments express,” said Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017).
Inaugurated in 2018, the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, at 18 rue de la Verrerie in the Marais district, has established itself as an incomparable meeting place for art and fashion. Rigour, passion and conviction magnify the point of view of a team presided over by Carla Sozzani, faithful to a master of the line, whose exacting standards we find here. “The quest for the invisible guides the greatest works. Azzedine Alaïa pursues the quest for a definitive couture of which he is the virtuoso, even if he doesn't show it,” noted Olivier Saillard in 2018, on the Foundation's inaugural exhibition, “Azzedine Alaïa, je suis couturier.”
With the opening of the “Azzedine Alaïa and Thierry Mugler” exhibition, curated by Olivier Saillard, Director of the Foundation, showcasing two decades of artistic complicity between the two designers, Carla Sozzani, Founder and President of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, looks back at the fundamentals of this place of memory. The Azzedine Alaïa Foundation is as much about the future as it is about preserving a unique body of work and a unique collection.
What does the Alaïa Heritage represent today in terms of collections?
The Heritage includes two major fashion collections: on the one hand, the work of Azzedine Alaïa, which represents around 22,000 pieces plus accessories and shoes, from his beginnings until his death in 2017. On the other, a collection dedicated to the History of Fashion, featuring the great masters collected by Azzedine Alaïa since 1968. The collection includes no fewer than 150,000 pieces, from Paul Poiret to Madame Grès, from Madeleine Vionnet to Comme des Garçons. In addition to these two major collections, there are also important collections of design and photography, which also corresponded to Azzedine Alaïa's passions.
How many people are involved in this activity?
There are two groups, one of three people for the collection of Azzedine Alaïa's work, and the other of two people for the History of Fashion.
What have been the major milestones in terms of development since the house was founded?
Azzedine Alaïa's work can be divided into three main parts:
1956-1982, from his arrival in Paris and internship at Dior to his triumph in New York in 1982.
1983-1992: the years of great success, followed by a period of return to a confidential clientele and ultra-selective distribution, with very loyal customers such as Barneys.
2000- 2017: a second period of great recognition for his work as a couturier
And the creation of the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation?
It was set up in 2018-2020 and recognised as a public utility by decree in February 2020. To date, it has three main activities: archiving, exhibitions (books and catalogues) and education.
What was Azzedine Alaïa's vision in terms of heritage?
He wanted to preserve a fashion heritage in France. He was proud to have become a French citizen. Azzedine Alaïa wanted his work and that of the fashion masters that he had acquired over 50 years to be preserved, exhibited and to help new generations learn the secrets of couture.
Have you identified and documented everything he acquired?
Not yet, it’s a long process of archiving and digitisation.
What about restoration?
It is carried out in-house, by the same team, and we also use freelance restorers.
What are the difficulties and constraints?
Azzedine Alaïa bought this building in the heart of the Marais district, which has enabled the Foundation to create an exceptional archive worthy of a museum. The only difficulty is time; what he has preserved is immense... it will take another three years to finish.
How are the collections catalogued, and what do you keep of all the collections produced by the company?
Azzedine kept everything. The Azzedine Alaïa Foundation preserves all the pieces and accessories from Azzedine Alaïa's work, from the 1970s to his last collection for summer 2018.
Which exhibition has been the most successful to date?
The first: “Azzedine Alaïa, je suis couturier” (2018), with 41 absolute models expressing the quintessence of a work. And then “Azzedine Alaïa couturier collectionneur” at the Palais Galliera (2023), which highlighted his heritage collection.
What about loans? Exhibitions? In 2024, and this year?
The Azzedine Alaïa Foundation has made several loans to various institutions, including the Centre Pompidou, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, the V&A, the Palais Galliera and the Louvre. Since 2019, we have had an ongoing collaboration with the SCAD in the United States, with an exhibition in 2024 of part of the Balenciaga collection acquired by Azzedine Alaïa, followed this year by the Jeanne Lanvin collection, which he admired, and from which he had collected several hundred of his models. Another exhibition, “Azzedine Alaïa couturier,” is being prepared in collaboration with the Prato Fabric Museum.
What other major projects are in the pipeline?
An exhibition on Azzedine Alaïa's origins at the Musée du Monde Arabe with Jack Lang, probably called “Azzedine Alaïa and the Mediterranean,” and in autumn 2025 “Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior,” as he had collected almost 500 pieces...
By Laurence Benaïm
This interview has been lightly edited.