Alaïa is Having a Major Moment This Year

Whether you’re familiar with Alaïa or not, you’ve likely seen someone wearing one of the brand’s cult-favorite pieces, or you’ve worn one inspired by the Parisian House. One of fashion’s most underrated brands, the House has a strong reputation and is beloved for its distinct aesthetic and strong point of view.

While its popularity among the fashion crowd is unmatched, it still remains largely under the radar—very if you know, you know. That’s all changing, and Pieter Mulier, Alaïa’s creative director, continues to churn out hit after hit, leaving fashion folk sitting on waitlists reminiscent of the bygone It-bag era.

All the while, Alaïa has gone mainstream, but before we dive into the present day, let’s take a brief look at where it all began.

Tunisian Roots Meet Parisian Glam and New York Grunge

Though Alaïa was founded in Paris in 1964, the brand’s roots lie in Tunisia, where its founder, Azzedine Alaïa, was born in 1935. Before starting his own label, the designer worked under the likes of Christian Dior, Thierry Mugler, and Guy Laroche.

However, when he launched his own label, the designer quickly became known for his ability to design for the curves of a woman’s body, focusing on craft and construction rather than details and embellishments.

He designed for private clients, focusing on Haute Couture, and eventually delved into the world of ready-to-wear in the ’80s, given a push by his brush with New York.

Thanks in part to the late Bill Cunningham’s street-style photographs, many of which featured fashion editors donning Alaïa, the designer became known in New York. Eventually, the director of Bergdorf Goodman invited Alaïa to show stateside.

Alaïa was a design genius. He knew how to design for women without exploiting them, building a famous roster of fans that he would put on a pedestal until his death at 82.

Modern Day Alaïa

Known to many as one of the last great couturiers, Azzedine Alaïa designed and showed his last collection for Spring 2018 before he died in 2017. It would be a long wait until the brand’s next chapter began, but in 2021, it was announced that Pieter Mulier would succeed Azzedine Alaïa.

Mulier, who worked for over a decade beside Raf Simons, took on the role of creative director for the first time when he was offered the spot at Alaïa, and he has quickly proven to be the perfect person for the gigantic task at hand.

He stays true to Azzedine Alaïa’s ethos, paying homage to the late designer’s work while making it relevant to the present. He seamlessly integrated his predecessor’s vision of femininity with his own aesthetic. Mulier has quickly made a name for himself in the three years since taking over the brand’s helm, and it is him we have to thank for the current Alaïa movement.

Fan-Favorites

Since his appointment, the designer has churned out a slew of cult-worthy favorites. The buzz-worthy Le Cœur bag quickly overtook the fashion scene, and for good reason. While the bag is an adorable statement-maker, it also is a tribute to the brand’s history, debuting as part of the designer’s first collection for the house, inspired by the 1992 Mon Cœur est à Papa collection by Azzedine Alaïa.

Mulier discussed the bag’s popularity with Baazar, stating, “Le Cœur is also, in a way, a classic motif of elegant simplicity. All of that embodies Alaïa’s quest for timeless beauty.” The heart bag quickly became synonymous with this new chapter for the House, reappearing each season in refreshed colors and novelty iterations like suede and studs.

More recently, the Alaïa Le Teckel Bag took social media by storm, gaining a cult following and becoming difficult to track down. Like Le Cœur, Le Teckle shines in its simplicity, adapting to each wearer, allowing its user to wear the bag and not the other way around—a celebration of the uniqueness and diversity in each Alaïa woman.

The sleek silhouette marked the second hit bag under Mulier’s direction, proving his influence and cementing that Alaïa is here to stay. Now, with 6 seasons under his belt, the designer continues to pave a new path for the French House, transforming the brand from if you know, you know, to just, well, you know.