"For over 35 years, Prosper Assouline and Azzedine Alaïa were close friends. As a tribute to their friendship, Prosper Assouline decided to republish Assouline's 1992 "Collector's Book" on Alaïa's Summer 1992 show that lays bare the work of a creative artist. Never before had a haute couture designer given such an in-depth view of the secret alchemy that goes into a fashion show. Azzedine Alaïa was not one to do things the way everyone else had done, so it was fitting that he would be the first to produce such a work. What this book offers is the complete story of a fashion show from start to finish, including: everyone participating, all of the objects required, and every item of décor or inspiration which helped form Alaïa's work. It is like a seismographic recording of all the emotions, colors, fabrics, and shapes that go into creating a fashion show. The French call such a show a "collection," hence the title Livre de Collection, which offers an inside view of an intensely creative universe. This book also redresses what could be described as an injustice of the fashion world by giving a durable form to the eminently ephemeral event that is a couture show. It is a permanent record of the creative chaos that is a feature of every fashion collection, an ordered reflection of the fragile and wonderful craziness in which a creative artist lives and works. A faithful mirror, this "Collector's Book" reflects the intense and magnificent work of artist Azzedine Alaïa"--

For over 35 years, Prosper Assouline and Azzedine Alaïa were close friends. As a tribute to their friendship, Prosper Assouline decided to republish Assouline's 1992 "Collector's Book" on Alaïa's Summer 1992 show that lays bare the work of a creative artist. Never before had a haute couture designer given such an in-depth view of the secret alchemy that goes into a fashion show. Azzedine Alaïa was not one to do things the way everyone else had done, so it was fitting that he would be the first to produce such a work. What this book offers is the complete story of a fashion show from start to finish, including: everyone participating, all of the objects required, and every item of décor or inspiration which helped form Alaïa's work. It is like a seismographic recording of all the emotions, colors, fabrics, and shapes that go into creating a fashion show. The French call such a show a "collection," hence the title Livre de Collection, which offers an inside view of an intensely creative universe. This book also redresses what could be described as an injustice of the fashion world by giving a durable form to the eminently ephemeral event that is a couture show. It is a permanent record of the creative chaos that is a feature of every fashion collection, an ordered reflection of the fragile and wonderful craziness in which a creative artist lives and works. A faithful mirror, this "Collector's Book" reflects the intense and magnificent work of artist Azzedine Alaïa.

A special twentieth anniversary edition of the only definitive publication on one of the most respected and influential fashion designers of our time. A new edition of the only major monograph published on Alaïa, which has been out of print for over a decade. Alaïa was renowned for highly intricate form fitting couture with a sculptural quality. More than a decade in the making, this book is a celebration of Alaïa's world, a collection of images of his haute couture creations worn by his muses and photographed by icons of twentieth century fashion. With archival photographs chronicling Alaïa's early years in Tunisia; excerpts from literary texts and other sources of inspiration for the couturier; and contributions from his closest friends, the reader is invited to discover an intimate world where creation was allowed to flourish. Alaïa features more than 200 photographs by Paolo Roversi, Annie Leibovitz, Steven Meisel, Helmut Newton, Patrick Demarchelier, Arthur Elgort, Ellen von Unwerth, Gilles Bensimon, and numerous other master photographers. With a new introduction by Carla Sozzani and Christoph von Weyhe from the Association Alaïa this book is a testament to a designer whose tremendous skill, unique vision, and independent spirit colored the fabric of the fashion industry forever.

Marvelous engineer of cutting and researcher of new materials, Azzedine Alaïa often works more like a sculptor of the dress than a ready-to-wear designer and has discreetly influenced fashion for more than thirty years. Appearing on the scene at the beginning of the 1980s and recognized by the whole profession and by a fanatic clientele (among which are numerous celebrities), this little Tunisian who refuses to grow up is one of the most remarkable personalities in the world of elegance. It is impossible to speak of a career. For Alaïa, fashion is his destiny. 60 images

"My tribute to a true genius and a friend." - Prosper Assouline For over 35 years, Prosper Assouline and Azzedine Alaia were close friends. As a tribute to their friendship, Prosper Assouline decided to republish Assouline's 1992 "Collector's Book" on Alaia's Summer 1992 show that lays bare the work of a creative artist. Never before had a haute couture designer given such an in-depth view of the secret alchemy that goes into a fashion show. Azzedine Alaia was not one to do things the way everyone else had done, so it was fitting that he would be the first to produce such a work. What this book offers is the complete story of a fashion show from start to finish, including: everyone participating, all of the objects required, and every item of decor or inspiration which helped form Alaia's work. It is like a seismographic recording of all the emotions, colours, fabrics, and shapes that go into creating a fashion show. The French call such a show a "collection," hence the title Livre de Collection, which offers an inside view of an intensely creative universe. This book also redresses what could be described as an injustice of the fashion world by giving a durable form to the eminently ephemeral event that is a couture show. It is a permanent record of the creative chaos that is a feature of every fashion collection, an ordered reflection of the fragile and wonderful craziness in which a creative artist lives and works. A faithful mirror, this "Collector's Book" reflects the intense and magnificent work of artist Azzedine Alaia. AUTHOR: A master of style, Prosper Assouline is known for merging the modern and the classical in publishing and creative design. With a vision of bringing luxury into the world of print, he founded Assouline Publishing with his wife Martine, in Paris in 1994, creating a world of exclusivity in books and brand identity. Under Prosper's direction, Assouline has invented a visual language that is internationally recognised for its excellence. 200 illustrations

Unveiling Azzedine Alaïa’s story before his milestone 1982 show, this book offers a never-before-seen look into one of fashion’s most enigmatic icons. Azzedine Alaïa (1935–2017) was regarded as a contemporary fashion genius. Edited by his closest friend, Carla Sozzani, this new volume presents an unprecedented view into Alaïa’s early life and career, from his native Tunisia and 1956 arrival in Paris to his breakthrough 1982 New York show. From apprenticeships to encounters with Paris’s creative and society crowds, this book pays homage to Alaïa’s evolution. Chronological chapters depict a designer devoted to his work while enjoying friendships with such individuals as Arletty, Louise de Vilmorin, César, Andrée Putman, and Thierry Mugler. Quotes by Alaïa accompany gorgeous photographs of iconic dresses and lesser-known designs, providing captivating stories behind the inspirations for his creations. Interviews share intimate anecdotes from Serge Lutens, Edgar Morin, Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele, Marie Rucki, and more. Accompanying an exhibition at the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, this unique publication delves into rare archival materials, private photographs, and prominent publications to powerfully illustrate the fascinating journey of a fashion legend.

Azzedine Alaia (1935-2017) was not only a world-renowned fashion designer but also an avid collector of vintage fashion. Now a major exhibition at the Palais Galliera, Paris, Azzedine Alaia showcases the extensive collection he built up over the decades, driven by his fascination with the history of couture and his desire to conserve its heritage for future generations. Accumulated in utmost secrecy and never revealed during his lifetime, the sumptuous selection of garments ranges from the nineteenth-century elegance of Jacques Doucet and the House of Worth to the names that shaped twentieth-century fashion--Chanel, Balenciaga, Dior, Schiaparelli--and contemporary innovators such as Jean Paul Gaultier and Alexander McQueen. Captured in specially taken photographs, these meticulously crafted pieces are a tribute to Alaia's unerring tastes, to the couturiers who inspired and influenced him, and to his endless respect for the craftspeople who created such objects of lasting beauty.

In the critical essays collected in Black Looks, bell hooks interrogates old narratives and argues for alternative ways to look at blackness, black subjectivity, and whiteness. Her focus is on spectatorship—in particular, the way blackness and black people are experienced in literature, music, television, and especially film—and her aim is to create a radical intervention into the way we talk about race and representation. As she describes: "the essays in Black Looks are meant to challenge and unsettle, to disrupt and subvert." As students, scholars, activists, intellectuals, and any other readers who have engaged with the book since its original release in 1992 can attest, that's exactly what these pieces do.