SCAD Fash pays homage to Azzedine Alaïa and Gilbert Adrian

By

Robin Driver

Published
Feb 3, 2020

SCAD Fash, Savannah College of Art and Design’s museum of fashion and film, is celebrating the intertwined legacies of Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017) and Gilbert Adrian (1903-195) with a joint exhibition entitled “Alaïa-Adrian: Masters of Cut.”

 
Curated by fashion historian and curator Olivier Saillard, the event is the first posthumous U.S. museum exhibition of Alaïa’s work and displays the Tunisian-born couturier’s famously form-fitting creations alongside Adrian’s intricately detailed suits.
 
The exhibition features tailored looks from both designers, as well as a selection of the gowns that helped make Alaïa an icon, including pieces worn by Grace Jones.

Alaïa initially trained as a sculptor but ultimately built his career in fashion in Paris, reaching the height of his fame in the 80s and early 90s thanks to his ultra-fitted designs, which were worn by supermodels like Naomi Campbell, Stephanie Seymour and Linda Evangelista.
 
He was also an avid collector of Adrian’s work during his lifetime. Indeed, presented through a partnership with SCAD Fash, the Adrian pieces on display are actually held by Paris’ Association Azzedine Alaïa.

Adrian was the head of costume design at MGM during the Golden Age of Hollywood, coming up with the fantastical wardrobe of The Wizard of Oz and dressing the likes of Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Norma Shearer.
 
He later went on to found his own atelier in Beverly Hills, with strong shoulders and cinched waists quickly establishing themselves as the key elements of his signature silhouette.
 
The exhibition opens with a reception on the evening of Monday, February 10. The event will be preceded by a conversation between Saillard and Carla Sozzani, both personal friends of Alaïa, and SCAD fashion historian Carmela Spinelli, who together will discuss the designer’s life and work.
 
“Alaïa-Adrian: Masters of Cut” runs February 11 through September 13, 2020, at SCAD Fash, in Atlanta, Georgia.