Dress
Azzedine Alaïa focuses on the challenges inherent in the transformation of two-dimensional textiles into sculptural three-dimensional garments. His sharp, engineered tailoring results in armor-like silhouettes typical of the power dressing of the 1980s, yet his use of body-clinging and tactile fabrics betray a more sensual approach to the body. This corseted, woolen little black dress with a double-breasted closure and wide lapels fuses masculine and feminine dress codes into a garment characteristic of Alaïa's commanding signature.
Artwork Details
- Title: Dress
- Designer: Azzedine Alaïa (French (born Tunisia), Tunis 1935–2017 Paris)
- Date: fall/winter 1988–89
- Culture: French
- Medium: wool
- Credit Line: Purchase, Funds from various donors, by exchange, 2020
- Object Number: 2020.135
- Curatorial Department: The Costume Institute
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