Last night, Alaïa became the first fashion brand to hold a runway show at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the first time the French brand has shown in America since founder Azzedine Alaïa officially introduced his designs to the American market in 1982, when he presented his collection in front of Andy Warhol and Paloma Picasso at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. New York is where Mr. Alaïa opened his first store and is also the city where Alaïa’s current creative director, Peter Mourié, lived for a time while working with Raf Simons at Calvin Klein.
When the museum doors opened for the show, it felt like a sentimental homecoming for the museum, and extraordinarily grand. Guests sat on large circular ottomans in the museum’s iconic rotunda, among them supermodels Linda Evangelista, Amber Valletta, and Naomi Campbell. Rihanna was there, too, appearing shortly before the show began, wearing a white corset and a glittering, beaded knit shawl. As soon as she sat down and the piano music began to play, the models came rolling down the spiral ramp of the museum’s main hall.
Mulliez’s stunning Winter/Spring 2025 collection continued his rigorous design approach with a focus on form and movement, but this time it featured subtle references to American sportswear giants like Claire McCardell and Halston, and featured denim and fluid jersey fabrics that moved with the body – none of the clothes had zippers or button-ups.
Silk taffeta was dramatically pleated in the style of Charles James, and skin-tight bandeau bras were paired with ruffled, asymmetric skirts and floaty trousers that sat low on the hips. Mulliez also showed stunning dresses and coats that were sculpted to wrap around the models’ torsos and bodices “like a magic trick.”
“For me, American beauty means freedom of body and mind,” Mulliez wrote, adding, “This collection is a tribute to tradition and modernity. It celebrates the ideals of American dress and, through it, the spirit of a free body in motion that connects New York and Paris.”
This Alaïa collection was not only about homage and homecoming, but also looking to the future. Mourier and his team invited students from FIT, Parsons, and Pratt to attend the show. It’s not hard to imagine future designers drawing inspiration from the incredible craft they witnessed. Opening the door to a new generation of fashion visionaries? That doesn’t get more beautifully American than that.
Brooke Bobb is the Fashion News Director at Harper’s Bazaar, working across both print and digital platforms. Previously, she was Senior Content Editor at Amazon Fashion and worked as a Senior Fashion News Writer at Vogue Runway.
