One of the season’s most captivating fashion exhibitions offers a fresh perspective on Azzedine Alaïa’s inspiration, tracing the couturier’s lifelong connection to the landscapes, craftsmanship, and visual cultures of Africa. On view at the Fondation Azzedine Alaïa in Paris from July 7th, 2026, to January 4th, 2027, Azzedine Alaïa and Africa, curated by Olivier Saillard, reveals how the continent remained a lasting creative force throughout his career.
Azzedine Alaïa’s Inspiration: Africa through memory and couture
After leaving Tunisia for Paris at 21, Alaïa carried Africa with him in memory and design. The exhibition reveals how mashrabiya screens, the whitewashed architecture of Tunisia, ceremonial black garments, and the earthy palette of sub-Saharan landscapes resurfaced across his collections.
Particular attention is given to the Spring/Summer 1988, 1989, and 1990 collections, where raffia, twine, cowrie shells, and seashell embroidery shape striking silhouettes. Rope-fringed dresses, python wraps, raffia-trimmed knitwear, and Alaïa’s iconic bandage dresses—echoing ancient Egyptian queens and mummification rituals—appear alongside paintings by Kris Ruhs, creating a dialogue between fashion and contemporary art.
Alaïa Archive: a journey remembered
The exhibition continues with photographs by Peter Beard documenting Alaïa’s journey through Maasai country in Kenya—an experience that left a lasting imprint on his work. Archival runway films, photographs, and garments reveal how the elegance, movement, and craftsmanship he encountered continued to resonate throughout his collections, long after he had left the continent.
Don’t miss our interview with Olivier Saillard, in which he discusses fashion as a form of cultural memory, the emotional power of clothing and the reasons why performance has become an integral part of his creative process.
Courtesy of FONDATION AZZEDINE ALAÏA
