Maison Alaïa Opens London Flagship Store

When Azzedine Alaïa passed away in November last year, his death had a profound impact on an industry within which he was particularly beloved and unanimously revered. "Azzedine was able to transform a woman’s body into something special; to make you look great and still like a woman,” Naomi Campbell said after his death. “He captured the essence of femininity.” Now, his uniquely elegant perspective has been translated into the Maison’s first flagship outside of Paris: a three-floor store situated on Bond Street, designed by Azzedine himself and filled with the artists whom he loved most.

“Azzedine loved London… and he came to this space many times,” explains Carla Sozzani, the long-standing friend of the late designer who collaborated with him on the interiors. “The last time we were here was only in October – and this is exactly the way he wanted it: super light, transparent, and easy to move around in.” Indeed, handbags and shoes sit atop Naoto Fukasawa’s glass benches; perfume bottles stacked within Shiro Kuramata bookshelves; enormous lights designed by Alaia’s close friend, Marc Newson, illuminate the space. It is clean and modern, bright and airy, but far from sterile – in fact, there are even cosy (albeit sculptural) sofas dotted about the place. “Women should feel at home here a little bit… that’s why we did the sofas,” continues Sozzani – but of course they are the best sort, designed by Pierre Paulin. Even the singular carpet in the space has been designed by Gio Ponti; having said that he’d never have one in his stores, Alaïa made special exception for the Italian architect.

Amidst a host of world-famous names, that is what is perhaps most appealing about the space: how directly it reflects both Alaïa’s genius in simplicity and his warmly inviting spirit. It is those same principles upon which the Maison will continue into the future – although new pieces will arrive quietly onto the rails, without fashion shows or fanfare, the house will continue to create clothing (the atelier remains staffed by the same 30 people who worked there previously; since Azzedine’s death, nobody has left). “It’s the way he would have wanted it,” says Sozzani who, in 2007, set up an association with Azzedine and his partner Christophe von Weyhe to preserve his work. “He was always thinking about the future… how to be immortal! Azzedine would say that the Maison had to go on with the people who had always been with him; for them to learn from the Maison, to work from his work. Not to invent and destroy the brand – because Azzedine is more than a brand. It’s Alaïa.” This store is a fitting tribute to that sentiment, and the perfect place to invest in his remarkable vision.