Few designers defined the 1980s the way Azzedine Alaïa and Thierry Mugler have. At first glance their work could not be further apart – Alaïa, the master of sexy discreetness, Mugler the master of bombastic sexiness. Alaia, demure in his respect for Parisian tradition, Mugler breaking with all haute couture conventions. Alaïa was serious about women, Mugler saw them as characters. Alaïa, building a temple of sophistication, Mugler building a church to Camp.
And yet, the two shared more than a first glance would have you believe – Mugler had as much respect for craft as Alaïa did, ending up at Lanvin instead of Dior because it allowed him to become a couturier. Alaïa has been quietly working on his own, word-of-mouth after he left Christian Dior in 1956, dressing a private clientele. He was known among those who knew.
Meanwhile, Mugler seemingly burst out of nowhere in the late ’70s and, along with Claude Montana and Jean Paul Gauliter, remade Paris in just a few years. And he revered Alaïa. For his Fall / Winter 1979 collection, Mugler invited Alaïa to design a series of tuxedos for his fashion show. The two became friends, and Mugler encouraged Alaïa to officially start his own brand, which Alaïa did the same year. Mugler brought prominent fashion editors to his studio, helping to jump-start Alaia’s career. And some of early Alaïa’s work was not that far from Mugler’s – look, for example, at Alaia’s Fall / Winter 1991 collection, and you will find a black leather jacket with broad shoulders and a nipped waist, paired with a black leather mini skirt.
The unlikely friendship between the two giants of Parisian fashion is now celebrated in the exhibition Azzedine Alaïa 1980/1990: Two Decades of Artistic Affinities at the Foundation Azzedine Alaïa in Paris. Alaia was an avid collector of other designers’ work, and Mugler was no exception. Alaïa ended up with over 200 pieces from Mugler, 40 of which are on display, juxtaposed against Alaïa’s own work. The exhibit is a testament to a lasting friendship that can often come from unlikeliest of sources.
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Azzedine Alaïa 1980/1990: Two Decades of Artistic Affinities at the Foundation Azzedine Alaïa, from March 3rd to June 29th, 2025
Images courtesy of the foundation