AL FRESCO: After Paris and London, Milan is hosting an exhibition of designs by Azzedine Alaïa that in terms of setting is among the most spectacular yet.
At the opening night on Thursday, 21 looks were unveiled in the Galleria degli Arazzi of the storied Palazzo Clerici, under spectacular frescoes by 18th-century artist Giambattista Tiepolo.
Guests including Silvia Venturini Fendi, Delfina Delettrez, Fausto Puglisi, Alberta Ferretti, Anna Molinari, Caroline Vreeland, Giuseppe Zanotti and Carlo Capasa joined Alaïa’s partner Christoph von Weyhe and close friend Carla Sozzani at the event.
Olivier Saillard, the fashion historian who curated the show, said seeing the outfits in the gilded reception room, which also features tapestries and a wood marquetry floor, cast them in a fresh light.
“There are clothes I have handled dozens of times, and for example this little white dress, I think, looks a lot more alive here,” he said, pointing to a short Grecian-style draped jersey dress.
“It’s the first time that Azzedine Alaïa is the subject of an exhibition in Milan. It’s like a little appetizer in the hope of perhaps doing something bigger one day,” he added.
Supported by the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation and Vogue Italia, in partnership with Place Vendôme Qatar, “Azzedine Alaïa Couture
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