American beauty was at the forefront of ALAÏA’s Winter-Spring 2025 collection. The curation by Pieter Mulier, presented at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York, is a tale of two Os – opportunity and obsession. Mulier and ALAÏA have always wished to showcase a collection at the prestigious Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and took the chance to fulfil their dream, making this the first time the museum’s rotunda has hosted a fashion house’s collection. Their obsession with the idea of American beauty, a concept that embodies the traits of simplicity, modernity, and directness, birthed in a collection that personifies these values at the highest level.
Themes & Motifs of the ALAÏA Winter-Spring 2025 Collection
The primary theme of the ALAÏA Winter-Spring 2025 Collection was the aforementioned American beauty and its values of freedom, both in body and in spirit. Nothing signifies ‘American’ more than New York, The Big Apple and its most popular city. ALAÏA’s relationship with NYC is one that spans four decades. Indeed, for Azzedine Alaïa. New York served as the location where he made a name for himself with his designs and where he opened his first store in the ’80s. In 1982, Alaïa’s works were shown to the New York public, drawing critical acclaim and recognition.
42 years later, ALAÏA continues to honour that relationship with their latest Winter-Spring 2025 Collection at Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. ‘American beauty’ is all about the simple things in life, and this collection is a nod to American sportswear, which is widely regarded by the public as the most practical variation of sportswear.
Alaïa has employed neat geometric shapes that animate themselves around the form, like circles, squares, and fabric spirals that wrap the body, complete with double-face cashmere, fine knit, sculpted poplin, and silk taffeta. The startling purity makes its way to the very core of the designs – there is an impressive lack of staples like buttons and zippers. Indeed, upon first glance, there is little that separates some of the more suspended pieces from magic. The clothes in the collection are couture studies of an American vernacular of dress—denims, t-shirts, sports pieces, etc.
“This collection is about honouring tradition alongside modernity. It is a celebration of an American ideology of dress, and through that, of a spirit that can unite New York and Paris—the body in motion, liberated. As Alaïa always has been.”
– Pieter Mulier
KHAMSA’s Top Looks
Final Note
ALAÏA’s unveiling of their Winter-Spring 2025 Collection was a stellar success that served as a reminder of the various positives of a simplistic approach. Supermodels led by Kendall Jenner perfectly embodied the American beauty aspect of the collection – clean, minimalistic, and beautiful.
The creative exchange between the Maison and the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York was a meeting of the minds of two kindred spirits, prompting a rich interchange of their art. The collection itself was shaped by the idea of an American museum hosting the inherently American designs. Upon a closer look, touches of some great American fashion greats like Adrian, Halston, Charles James, and Claire McCardell can be observed. Also incorporated is a sculptural undertone, one that draws inspiration from the great Azzedine Alaïa and from the visionary leading the House’s creative pursuits today, Pieter Mulier.
