ALAÏA/GRES - BEYOND FASHION

Determined to a lifetime of seclusion spent entirely in their ateliers, Madame Grès saw herself as a sculptor. Azzedine Alaïa studied sculpture at the School of Fine Arts in Tunis. This shared passion for sculpture was kept intact through their journey in the fashion system to which they dedicated themselves with such singularity and success. While there is no evidence that the two couturiers ever crossed paths, their creations undoubtedly did. Apostles of a certain form of simplicity, the seemingly simple creations of Grès and Alaïa hide an inherent complexity in their cut and design. United by their formal principles, their cutting techniques and the harmonious combinations of fabric and colors they commonly embraced, the clothes by both couturiers invite readers to a lesson beyond fashion.