Azzedine Alaia: Dark, Dramatic and Daring

Fashion Designer Review: Azzedine Alaia

Azzedine Alaia is a fashion designer from Tunisia that is a celebrity favorite. Celebrities like Madonna, Gwen Stefani, the First Lady Michelle Obama, Katherine Heigle, Tina Turner and Naomi Campbell all wear his styles. If you are looking for a dress to really show off your figure then this is a designer to look to for clothing choices.

Azzedine Alaia - Biography

Azzedine Alaia was born on June 7, 1940 in the town of Jemmal, Tunisia. His parents were wheat farmers so he had a rural upbringing. His twin sister inspired him to explore the world of fashion and in the 1950s after completing his studies at art school he entered the world of fashion as a dressmaker's assistant. This is where he got his education in fashion design, couture techniques and clothing making. In 1957 he moved to Paris where he worked with Christian Dior, Guy Laroche and Thierry Mugler as a tailor and couturier. Over the next decade he worked as a private dresser and tailor and in the late 1970s he opened his first tailor shop.

In 1980 Azzedine Alaia launched his first ready-to-wear fashion collection. From this point on he owned the 80s in terms of fashion trends. Bergdorf Goodman in the United States picked up the line in their New York and Beverly Hills stores and in 1988 Azzedine Alaia opened his own signature boutiques in these two U.S. cities as well. The 1990s were not as kind to Alaia as the 80s had been and he practically disappeared off the fashion scene. However, in 2007 Prada reintroduced Alaia to the world of fashion and today he has his own house brand line in the Prada collection.

Azzedine Alaia - The Style

Azzedine Alaia has a very distinctive style. His clothing is known for being dramatic, dark and tight fitting. One of his signature styles is the little black dress that is skin tight and that has a deep scoop back. Other styling characteristics that are signature Azzedine Alaia are black leather studs, zippers, dark colors, black and figure hugging cuts.

Wearing Azzedine Alaia