As Cher From the 1995 Movie "Clueless" said "It's like a totally important designer."
Azzedine Alaïa has always tried to remain independent from the fashion establishment. For the most part, he shows when he wants, if at all, doesn’t advertise, doesn’t have a website or a Twitter, and isn’t seen on celebrities or in the press as frequently as some other labels. Still, he’s one of the most respected designers in the biz and people continue flocking to Barneys and the like to buy his clothes. Speaking of buying, he also hasn’t had a store since 1992. However, that’s reportedly about to change!
According to the Financial Times‘ Vanessa Friedman, Alaïa revealed plans to open a flagship store near Avenue Montaigne in Paris, the heart of French luxury retail. And that’s not all–the store will be part of a “five-floor hotel particulier with an interior courtyard/garden that will function as store/showroom/some offices.”
It’s a pretty big deal for the neighborhood and because it means Alaïa must be doing well (maybe that gorge Sofia Coppola wedding dress helped?). According to Friedman, Barneys more than doubled its Alaïa space last year. At the height of his career in the mid-late ’80s, he opened boutiques in New York, Los Angeles and Paris, but they eventually closed as he made his business more private.
She reports the store is set to open next March, but don’t expect flashing lights advertising its location: “Though there are five windows on the street, there are no plans to do big vitrines of clothes and bags, but to keep it a those-who-know address, albeit in the middle of all the action.” One factor that might compromise the secrecy of the shop’s location is all the celebrities who will inevitably be passing through its doors. Perhaps Kim Kardashian, who recently wore Alaïa to an Oscars party and whose beau Kanye West is friends with the designer, will become a frequent customer.
0 Leave a comment:
Post a Comment