Designer Azzalene Alaia first learned the intricacies of the human figure studying sculpture at the École des Beaux-Arts in Tunis. After graduation, Alaia worked as a dressmaker and in 1957, moved to Paris to become a fashion designer. After working for Christian Dior, Guy Laroche and
Thierry Mugler, Alaia opened his first atelier in his apartment in the late 1970s. By 1980, he had produced his first ready-to-wear collection.
A perfectionist, Alaia works directly on the body to get a custom fit. He has a talent for draping and is thought to have invented the stretch mini and lycra fashions of the 1980s. His designs are famous for fitting closely to the body, known as a "second skin."
Alaia's clothes are available at Barney's New York and Bergdorf Goodman. Celebrity fans of Alaia include
Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour, and Tina Turner.
