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Bespoke Feature

Alaïa’s new SS21 collection celebrates graceful and powerful sensuality

For SS21, the storied Parisian house drew upon its design signatures to produce a covetable collection full of joyful and ultra-wearable pieces

Fashion

The onset of summer is always met with excitement and this year that is arguably truer than ever. With people across the world looking forward to a return to normality, or some semblance of it, there’s a feeling of optimism, hope and excitement for the season ahead. If 2020 was the year that sweatpants took over the fashion world, 2021 is the year they’ll be cast aside in favor of sensuality and elegance, albeit of a more understated nature. As our diaries slowly begin to fill up with social events such as date nights, dinners with friends and weddings, we’ll be placing a renewed emphasis on filling our closets with chic pieces that work for myriad occasions. Enter Alaïa’s joyful SS21 collection.

This season, the iconic Paris-based label drew inspiration from its heritage – perfectly fitting for a house that celebrated the female form with body-conscious designs in a way that was utterly revolutionary when Azzedine Alaïa debuted his first collection in 1980. As well as the house’s most decisive brand codes – including laser-cut details, stretch knitwear and figure-sculpting silhouettes – it was one particular Alaïa trip, captured by wildlife photographer Peter Beard, that inspired the house’s design team this season. Beard and Azzedine Alaïa ventured to Kenya in 1996 for a photo shoot that resulted in a 10-day adventure, as well as some of the photographer’s most enduring imagery.

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Empowerment is at the heart of the Alaïa aesthetic and these second-skin pieces act as a kind of sartorial armor, celebrating the women who wear them
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In the new collection, a cotton short suit cast in a camel hue is reminiscent of classic safari attire, nodding to the designer’s formative trip to Kenya. However, the neatly cinched waist and scoop neckline give this two-piece a contemporary edge, making it a chic option for summer in the city or even that long-awaited return-to-work look. If you’re after a piece that strikes the perfect balance between simple and stylish, Alaïa’s white midi dress, complete with scallop-detailed skirt, is a no-brainer; understated yet exquisitely constructed, it’s the ultimate throw-on-and-go outfit. Elsewhere, Alaïa signatures are evident in the form of figure-sculpting ribbed-stretch dresses and mini skirts – the designer was, after all, once known as ‘the king of cling’ – created with couture-like precision.

Empowerment is at the heart of the Alaïa aesthetic and these second-skin pieces act as a kind of sartorial armor, celebrating the women who wear them, while fringed details within the collection semaphore an unapologetic femininity. The chocolate-colored mini skirt and top make an elegant option for dinner and drinks with friends, while the blush halterneck dress is a vacation essential – it would make the perfect accompaniment to sun-kissed skin – and the red bodice-style gown is the ultimate occasion piece for when your diary is filled to capacity with weddings, summer parties and galas.

Ultimately, the magic of Alaïa is the label’s strong sense of identity. As a house, it knows exactly who it is and has a deep-rooted respect for its customer. As Alaïa CEO Myriam Serrano puts it: “We always stay true to Alaïa’s spirit.” As the house embarks on an exciting new chapter, having recently named Peter Muller – who honed his skills working under genre-defying Belgian designer Raf Simons – as the first creative director since Azzedine Alaïa’s passing in 2017, this compelling and covetable SS21 collection serves as a heartfelt ode to the fabled founder and an exciting glimpse of the bright future lying before the brand in this next iteration.

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