At Paris Fashion Week, Alaïa’s Summer/Fall 2025 collection emerged as a bold declaration of creativity, cementing Pieter Mulier’s reputation as a visionary unafraid to push the boundaries of fashion. Now part of the official ready-to-wear calendar for the first time, the show combined bold experimentation with nods to global traditions, proving that innovation thrives when rooted in cultural reverence.
Mulier’s designs leaned toward exaggerated silhouettes – lush padded leather coats, jackets with pool noodle lapels, and skirts cascading from fabric “donuts” that hugged the hips like sculptural life buoys. These forms, at once alien and familiar, challenged perceptions of how clothing interacts with the body. Bronze busts by artist Mark Manders anchored the runway, reflecting Mulier’s sculptural approach and fascination with timeless beauty.
The collection’s technical prowess shone through the intricate knitwear: seamless layered geometries, chenille skirts dripping with burgundy ropes, and crinkled pleats resembling paper lanterns. But beneath the spectacle lay a deeper thread. Mulier drew inspiration from Elizabethan farthingales, North African motifs, and Polish folk pleats, distilling them into a universal language of form. “Beauty exists outside of time or geography,” he remarked after the show, emphasizing designs meant to transcend boundaries.
Practicality coexisted with fantasy. Sleek wool coats with roped shoulders and shearling vests nodded to Alaïa‘s heritage of precision, while draped jersey dresses maintained the house’s sensuality. A tailored coat with a veil-like hood fused Parisian elegance with Arabic symbolism, a quiet highlight amid the theatrics.
Front row guests such as Gwendoline Christie and Pierpaolo Piccioli cheered as models walked with regal poise, arms folded as if frozen in painted portraits. Their applause underscored Mulier’s dual success: commercial clout-evidenced by Alaïa’s meteoric sales growth-and artistic fearlessness. By eschewing zippers and buttons, embracing single-yarn constructions, and staging shows outside the traditional calendar, he honors the legacy of founder Azzedine Alaïa while pushing the house forward.
©Photo: Alaïa