Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior: Two Masters of Haute Couture

A sumptuously showcased dialogue between two great 20th-century couturiers, as staged through a selection of resonant ensembles

In Tunisia, when he was still a teenager, the young Azzedine Alaïa (1935-2017) first discovered the creations of Christian Dior (1905-57) through the fashion magazines of Madame Pinault. In 1956, he undertook a brief four-day internship at Maison Dior, immersing himself in the unique atmosphere of a fashion house, observing the work of the head of the atelier and witnessing the creation of a collection. Alaïa would speak of this seminal experience with emotion for many years to come. Through dramatically staged photographs of notable ensembles, Two Masters of Haute Couture offers a dialogue between the designs of Azzedine Alaïa and Christian Dior. Bearing witness to a shared sensibility over time, the volume manifests the couturiers' concepts of style and creation that respond to each other across decades.