Mid 2000s Azzedine Alaia Supermodel Length White Knit w Nude Underlay Illusion Dress

Azzedine Alaia pieces are always a delight to find. His knits were all self developed and are among the best out there. He started his career as a dressmakers assistant  and copied couture gowns for wealthy Tunisian clients. In 1957 he moved to Paris and worked for Christian Dior for a grand total of five days. He then moved over to Guy Laroche and quietly started to get private commissions on the side. By 1960 he was doing mainly private work and within a few years established a small salon on the Left Bank where he continued designing privately. He stayed at that salon until 1984. During this time period he also did private freelance work for other designers including Claude Montana, Thierry Mugler and even Yves Saint Laurent. It was not until 1981 that he launched his first official collection and by 1983 he had a boutique in Beverley Hills. The French Ministry of Culture honored him with the Designer of the Year award in 1985. In 1993 he decided that the established fashion show schedule was not for him and he eschewed producing a new collection every season. Instead he showed when his collections were ready and continued to do so until his death in 2017. This dress is just fabulous and in mint condition

This Azzedine Alaia dress has a definite nod to some of his earlier work. It is based on a very similar dress to this one that he first made in the 1990s that had a slightly different woven pattern but otherwise had the same feel. The dress is made from ribbed and patterned knit in a stark white. This lies over a nude colored inner stretch jersey. The nude jersey peeks out between the open parts of the white knit and this is meant to give the illusion that you are wearing the knit over your bare skin. This inner lining is a stretch knit jersey that hugs and molds to your body to help hold things in place and creates a smooth line for the dress to fall over. As with all Azzedine Alaia pieces, this dress is cut to hug and highlight every curve. The workmanship and the fabric is the best you can get and I love the wide ribbed knit 'ruffle' at the hem. A V neck at the front and no sleeves are the perfect balance to the original unaltered extra long supermodel length of the dress. It's Barney's tag is still attached and it appears as if the dress was never worn. It is incredible. Excellent condition.

Fully lined in a nude lingerie weight stretch knit jersey. It slips on to wear with no closures. The knit gives is a bias cut so it should accommodate a range of sizes. Tagged a modern Alaia 38 but will stretch quite a bit. I have given the range of sizes from it laying flat and being completely unstretched to stretched out comfortably. You could probably get another inch or so beyond these as well once on an actual body. The length will come up a bit once on an actual body

Bust: 13-18" flat across from side seam to side seam comfortably
Waist: 11-15" flat across from side seam to side seam comfortably
Hips: 16-20" flat across from side seam to side seam comfortably
Length: 64" from neck to hem

Modern Sizing equivalent: XS-MED

Item# DD3423

This garment has been professionally cleaned, pressed and is odor free. Thoroughly checked over before shipping, it will be ready to wear upon arrival.